Trade & Tariff Resource Centre

The Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) is a federal program delivered by FedDev Ontario to help businesses and organizations in Southern Ontario respond to tariffs and ongoing trade disruptions.

The program has recently been expanded and now provides support for both immediate liquidity pressures and longer-term projects that help businesses become more productive, resilient and competitive.

Funding can support areas such as maintaining operations and employment, productivity improvements, equipment and technology, automation and digitization, market diversification, export development and supply-chain resilience.

Who can apply?

Businesses

To be eligible in Southern Ontario, a business generally must:

• Be an incorporated, for-profit business located and operating in Southern Ontario.

• Have generated at least $1 million in annual revenue in at least one of the last two fiscal years.

• Have been viable prior to the impact of tariffs.

• Be able to demonstrate that it has been affected by ongoing trade disruptions, including U.S. tariffs, Canadian countermeasures or countervailing duties.

Importantly, a company does not necessarily need to have 25% of its sales in tariff-affected markets to qualify.

Tariff exposure can be demonstrated in a number of ways, including:

• At least 25% of revenue coming from goods ultimately exported to the U.S.

• Operating in a tariff-affected sector, including businesses with direct or indirect exposure through their supply chains.

• Increased costs for production materials or other inputs because of tariffs.

• Supply-chain disruptions or changes in sourcing and lead times.

• Loss of revenue, customers or contracts.

• Reduced market access or export volumes.

• Other documented impacts resulting from tariffs or the uncertainty created by them.

All sectors affected by tariffs may be eligible. FedDev Ontario has identified businesses in areas including steel, automotive and food security as investment priorities, but eligibility is not limited to those sectors.

Not-for-profit organizations

Support is also available to incorporated not-for-profit organizations in Southern Ontario whose primary focus is supporting businesses and/or community economic development.

For example, eligible organizations may provide services to businesses affected by tariffs, including market intelligence, market diversification, digitization, technology adoption, supply-chain development and other business support activities.

Not-for-profit organizations cannot apply for the business liquidity assistance stream. Their projects must support eligible businesses or economic development activities.

What can RTRI fund?

1. Liquidity assistance

Businesses can apply for short-term support where tariff-related disruptions have created a demonstrated need to maintain operations and employment.

Eligible costs can include:

• Employee salaries and wages

• Commercial rent or lease payments

• Utilities

• Business insurance

• Property taxes

Liquidity assistance can be provided for up to 12 months and is intended to help businesses maintain Canadian operations and employment while dealing with tariff-related pressures.

2. Pivot projects

Businesses can also seek funding for projects designed to improve their competitiveness and resilience over the longer term.

Eligible activities can include:

• Productivity improvements and process modernization

• Equipment and technology adoption

• Automation and digitization

• Market diversification

• Export development

• Supply-chain resilience

• Activities that reduce trade-related risks

• Projects that increase competitiveness and reduce costs

A business can apply for liquidity assistance and a pivot project at the same time if it needs immediate support while also undertaking a longer-term project.

How much funding is available?

For Southern Ontario:

• Liquidity assistance: up to $2 million

• Non-repayable pivot project: up to $1 million

• A business may receive up to $3 million in combined non-repayable funding through liquidity assistance and a non-repayable pivot project.

• Larger pivot projects may receive repayable funding, with total RTRI support potentially reaching $20 millionwhere repayable support is included.

• Non-repayable funding can cover up to 50% of eligible costs, while repayable funding for larger projects can cover up to 75% of eligible costs.

How to apply

For businesses in Southern Ontario, the application process is:

1. Check your eligibility

Review the RTRI eligibility requirements and confirm that your company meets the basic requirements, including revenue, location and tariff-impact criteria.

2. Gather your supporting documents

Applicants should have:

• Financial statements for the previous two fiscal years

• Most recent interim financial statements

• Incorporation and corporate documents

• Evidence demonstrating the impact of tariffs or trade disruptions

• Other supporting documentation relevant to the project

For liquidity assistance, additional payroll information and evidence demonstrating the company's liquidity need are required.

For pivot projects, applicants should also provide a project schedule and information on the key management or technical personnel involved.

3. Complete the RTRI Application for Funding

Businesses must download and complete the official Application for Funding – RTRI.

4. Complete the RTRI Supplementary Form for Businesses

Businesses requesting financial support must also complete the RTRI Supplementary Form for Businesses.

5. Submit the application

The completed application and supporting documents are submitted directly through the FedDev Ontario application process.

FedDev Ontario confirms receipt of the application after submission. If approved, the applicant will enter into a contribution agreement with the Government of Canada.

What should businesses include in their application?

The tariff impact should be clearly documented.

Companies should explain:

• What changed?

• When did the impact begin?

• Which products, materials, customers, suppliers or markets are affected?

• How have tariffs affected costs, revenues, exports or supply chains?

• What has been the financial or operational impact?

• How does the impact affect Canadian operations and employment?

• What will the proposed project do to address the problem?

Supporting evidence could include export sales records, invoices, supplier notices, purchase orders, customs documents, evidence of increased input costs, lost contracts or customers, revenue declines, layoffs, hiring freezes or other relevant business records.

The strongest applications should make a clear connection between the tariff/trade disruption → business impact → proposed project → measurable outcome.

Important timing considerations

Do not assume that expenses incurred before approval will be reimbursed.

Activities and costs incurred before a formal funding decision are undertaken at the applicant's own risk. If approved, funding is generally reimbursed based on eligible costs incurred and claimed during the approved project period.

Official RTRI Resources

RTRI – Who Can Apply (Businesses)
FedDev Ontario – Who Can Apply

RTRI – How to Apply
FedDev Ontario – How to Apply

RTRI – Application Guide for Businesses
FedDev Ontario – Application Guide

RTRI – Supplementary Form for Businesses
FedDev Ontario – Supplementary Form

RTRI – Program Overview and Funding Details
FedDev Ontario – RTRI Southern Ontario

RTRI – Frequently Asked Questions
FedDev Ontario – RTRI FAQ

The Coffee Association of Canada (CAC) continues to closely monitor the rapidly evolving Canada-U.S. trade environment and its potential impact on Canadian coffee businesses.

As of September 8, 2026, Canada has implemented new counter-tariffs of 15%, 25% and 50% on specified U.S.-origin goods. The new measures cover approximately $27.6 billion in U.S. imports and are targeted at products affected by recent U.S. Section 338 and Section 232 tariffs. The applicable rate depends on the specific tariff classification of the product.

The Trump administration has reportedly refunded approximately $100 billion of the $165 billion in tariff revenue collected under its “Liberation Day” tariff measures after U.S. courts determined that the administration exceeded its legal authority in imposing the tariffs.

The refunds are a result of a legal process following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that challenged the use of emergency powers to implement broad tariff measures. The refunds were not issued by Congress. Instead, the process was managed through U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which collected the duties at the border and has been responsible for processing refunds to eligible parties through the U.S. customs system.

Were Canadian companies included?

Yes, Canadian goods were among those affected by the tariff measures. However, the refund process does not mean Canadian exporters automatically received compensation.

Under U.S. customs rules, tariffs are generally paid by the Importer of Record (IOR)  typically a U.S.-based company responsible for bringing goods into the country and paying duties to CBP. As a result, refunds have primarily flowed back to U.S. importers rather than foreign exporters.

For example:

• A Canadian company exports a product to a U.S. customer.
• The U.S. customer acts as the Importer of Record and pays the tariff at the border.
• If eligible, the U.S. customer would receive the refund from CBP.

Canadian companies may only directly benefit if they were the Importer of Record themselves or have contractual arrangements with U.S. customers regarding the return of refunded duties.

Key Takeaways for Canadian Businesses

While the refund process provides relief for some U.S. importers, it does not necessarily offset the broader impacts experienced by Canadian exporters, including:

• Increased costs and supply chain disruptions;
• Administrative burdens associated with tariff compliance;
• Uncertainty affecting investment and market planning; and
• Competitive impacts compared with other suppliers.

The situation highlights the continued uncertainty surrounding U.S. trade policy and the importance of maintaining strong government and stakeholder relationships in Washington. Tariff actions can have immediate consequences for Canadian businesses, while any future corrections or refunds may not directly benefit Canadian exporters.

Note: These refunds relate specifically to the “Liberation Day” tariffs and should be viewed separately from other U.S. trade actions, including Section 301 measures or sector-specific tariffs, which operate under different legal authorities and may not be covered by this refund process.

We would like to provide an update on new U.S. trade measures announced this afternoon. Late today, President Trump signed three proclamations under Section 338 of the U.S. Tariff Act of 1930, imposing new 50 percent tariffs on a broad range of Canadian goods. The measures are being introduced in response to Canada's treatment of U.S. motor vehicles, alcoholic beverages, and dairy products, and are scheduled to take effect on August 19, 2026.

The U.S. decision to move away from automatically extending CUSMA and instead require annual reviews has introduced a new layer of uncertainty into North American trade relations.

Key developments:

• The United States has opted not to proceed with a 16-year extension of CUSMA at this stage, instead triggering a framework of ongoing annual reviews of the agreement.
• In response, the Canadian government is actively seeking clarity on how the revised review process will operate and what it means for future negotiations.
• Despite the change in posture, CUSMA remains fully in force and is scheduled to remain active until 2036, unless otherwise renegotiated.

Implications and considerations:

• The shift increases policy and trade uncertainty, particularly around long-term investment planning and cross-border supply chains.
• Key areas of sensitivity include rules of origin, automotive production, steel and aluminum trade, and digital trade measures, which have been recurring points of tension.
• While tariff-free access for most goods remains intact under the current agreement, the new review structure could create more frequent leverage points for renegotiation or dispute.

Canadian position:

• Canada continues to emphasize the importance of stability, predictability, and trilateral cooperation within the agreement.
• Officials are maintaining engagement with U.S. and Mexican counterparts to better define how the review mechanism will be applied in practice.

Bottom line:
CUSMA is not being terminated, but the shift to annual reviews signals a more fluid and potentially more contentious trade environment going forward, with increased emphasis on ongoing negotiation rather than long-term certainty.

• U.S. importers that paid the tariffs
• Customs brokers acting on behalf of the importer

• It acted as the importer of record into the U.S. (for example, through a U.S. entity or subsidiary), or
• It has a commercial agreement where a U.S. importer passes through the refund

• Canadian exporters without importer of record status cannot apply directly
• Consumers and downstream businesses are not eligible

• Companies, or their U.S. affiliates, that imported coffee into the U.S. and paid tariffs directly may be eligible
• Where a U.S. distributor acted as importer of record, that entity must file the claim, not the Canadian exporter