THE PREMIER USING THIS AS A POLITICAL TOOL IS RECKLESS.

“The premier using this as a political tool to cling to power is nothing short of reckless, especially during this critical time in the NAFTA negotiations.”

Fedeli said his party would review and consider the Liberal bill when it is put forward after the legislature resumes sitting later in 2016, which demanded elevated attention to the U.S. and to Ontario’s trading relationship with U.S. states,” said Steven Del Duca, the minister of economic development and growth.

Wynne also defended the plan, tweeting “when jobs and opportunities for Ontario workers are threat- ened, we spond.”

Speaking about the upcoming legislation in Washington, she said the size of each punishment will be proportional to the size of the Buy American exclusion to avoid setting off escalating reprisals.

The move, she said, was inspired by a recent infrastructure bill from the state of New York, which passed in December and takes effect in April, just a month before the provincial election campaign begins.

“I don’t want a trade war,” she said Tuesday in an interview. “But we have to stand up for Ontario businesses, and Ontario workers, and do that in a proportional way … We are not going to roll over.”

New York legislators had initially proposed Buy American provisions in their budget that would restrict Ontario businesses’ ability to bid on public sector procurement projects, but dropped the measures under pressure from Canadian officials.

Provisions slated to take effect this spring are part of a less stringent bill that was brought forward later.

More than $1 billion in goods are traded between Ontario and the United States each day, according to the province.

The state of New York exported almost US$11 billion in goods to Ontario in 2016, it said. The province is ranked the first or second export destination for 28 states, the government said. will always re-