Resiliency Resources for Manitoba Businesses
Ongoing trade uncertainty and U.S. tariffs are creating new challenges for Manitoba businesses, from rising costs and disrupted supply chains to changing export markets. To help businesses navigate these challenges, the following resources provide information and support to help businesses manage immediate pressures, adapt operations, strengthen the workforce, and explore new markets.
Financial & Business Support
The Business Development Bank of Canada’s expanded Pivot to Grow program provides financing to help Canadian businesses manage the impacts of U.S. tariffs and changing trade conditions. The program can help businesses manage immediate financial pressures, invest in productivity and explore new opportunities.
Best suited for: Businesses experiencing immediate tariff-related cash flow pressures.
Large Enterprise Tariff Loan Facility
The Large Enterprise Tariff Loan Facility provides financing to large Canadian businesses facing tariff-related liquidity pressures and challenges accessing traditional financing. The expanded program can support up to 36 months of liquidity needs, with loan terms of up to 15 years.
Best suited for: Large Canadian businesses with significant operations or employment in Canada experiencing tariff-related financial pressures.
Manitoba Trade Resilience Loan Program
The Manitoba Trade Resilience Loan Program provides loans of $100,000 to $1 million to eligible Manitoba businesses experiencing financial pressures related to U.S. tariffs or Canadian counter-tariffs. Funding can support working capital needs such as payroll, lease and utility costs, and tariff-related fees as businesses navigate ongoing trade disruption.
Best suited for: Established Manitoba businesses in tariff-affected sectors or supply chains experiencing tariff-related financial pressures.
Manitoba Tax Payment Deferrals
Manitoba businesses may defer certain provincially administered tax payments, including Retail Sales Tax and Health and Post Secondary Education Tax Levy payments from September 1 to December 31, 2026.
Regional Tariff Response Initiative
Non-repayable liquidity support to help tariff-impacted businesses maintain operations in Canada and manage immediate tariff-related cash-flow pressures. Businesses with demonstrated liquidity needs may be able to receive up to $2 million in non-repayable liquidity supports. In addition, Pivot supports help tariff-impacted businesses diversify, increase productivity, and strengthen long-term competitiveness and resilience, through a further maximum non-repayable contribution of $1 million for eligible pivot projects or capital investment plans. This brings the potential total maximum non-repayable contribution to $3 million per company.
Businesses can also continue to apply through the RTRI for larger pivot and capital investment projects on a repayable funding basis, for projects over $1M, up to $20 million
Best suited for: Tariff-impacted businesses seeking immediate liquidity support or funding to diversify, increase productivity, and strengthen long-term competitiveness.
BDC Steel and Aluminium Industries Support Program
Access financing to help your business manage the impacts of U.S. tariffs on steel, aluminium and copper products. BDC offers loans of $250,000 to $50 million to help eligible businesses maintain operations, manage cash flow and adapt to changing trade conditions.
Best suited for: Manitoba businesses in the steel, aluminium and copper industries experiencing tariff-related financial pressures.
BDC provides financing and advisory support to help Canadian forestry businesses manage financial pressures and strengthen long-term competitiveness. Funding can support operating costs, equipment investments, modernization and business transformation.
Best suited for: Manitoba forestry and wood-product businesses seeking financial flexibility or support to adapt and modernize operations.
Adapt, Invest & Diversify
Canada Strong Diversification Fund
The Canada Strong Diversification Fund supports tariff-affected businesses making significant investments to adapt operations, improve productivity, diversify into new markets, strengthen domestic production, or maintain critical capital assets. Funding is available through two streams, with applications accepted on a continuous basis until available funding is committed.
Best suited for: Larger tariff-affected businesses investing in long-term adaptation, diversification, competitiveness, or critical capital assets.
Manitoba Export Support Program
Manitoba’s Export Support Program helps businesses explore new markets and build trade relationships across Canada and internationally. Funding can support participation in trade shows and missions outside Manitoba, as well as visits from qualified interprovincial and international buyers.
Best suited for: Manitoba businesses looking to expand into new markets, connect with buyers and grow trade opportunities.
Trade Growth Investment Financing Program
Manitoba’s Trade Growth Investment Financing Program provides repayable loans of $250,000 to $5 million to help eligible businesses invest in productivity, technology, infrastructure and trade growth. Funding can support projects that strengthen competitiveness, create jobs and expand into new markets.
Best suited for: Manitoba businesses investing in equipment, facilities or technology to improve productivity and grow their market opportunities.
Workforce Support
Canada-Manitoba Workforce Tariff Response Program
The Canada-Manitoba Workforce Tariff Response Program helps eligible Manitoba employers retrain and upskill employees affected by tariffs and changing market conditions. Funding can cover up to 100% of eligible training costs, with wage support also available for qualifying employers experiencing significant tariff-related revenue declines.
Best suited for: Manitoba employers in tariff-impacted industries looking to retain, retrain, or redeploy employees as they adapt to new business conditions.
Tariff Workforce Stabilization and Youth Experience Program
Delivered through the Business Council of Manitoba, these provincial programs provide wage subsidies to help tariff-affected employers retain existing employees and create employment opportunities for young Manitobans. Eligible employers may receive support for employee wages as they navigate trade-related disruptions.
Best suited for: Manitoba employers looking to retain workers at risk of layoffs or provide employment opportunities for youth.
Workforce Retention and Retraining Program
The federal Workforce Retention and Retraining Program helps businesses retain employees, avoid layoffs and invest in workforce training during periods of economic uncertainty. Through expanded Work-Sharing measures and retraining supports, eligible employers can access income support for employees working reduced hours and up to $1,000 per participant for eligible training costs.
Best suited for: Manitoba employers looking to retain workers, reduce layoffs and strengthen workforce skills as they adapt to changing business conditions.
Temporary Employment Insurance Measures
The federal government has extended temporary Employment Insurance (EI) measures to support workers affected by layoffs and economic uncertainty. These measures include waiving the one-week waiting period, allowing eligible workers to receive benefits without first exhausting severance payments, and providing additional weeks of benefits for qualifying long-tenured workers. Temporary eligibility rules also allow qualifying workers to use insurable hours from previous employment when their most recent job loss was through no fault of their own.
Best suited for: Manitoba employers navigating layoffs or workforce reductions and workers experiencing employment disruptions.
Trade Tools & Business Resources
Financial assistance is only one part of navigating changing trade conditions. Access to timely information, guidance and practical tools can also help businesses understand their options and plan their next steps. These tools and services can help Manitoba businesses understand tariffs, assess their exposure, explore new markets, and make informed decisions about their trade strategy.
Explore federal programs and resources to help your business respond to tariff-related challenges. Answer a few questions about your business to find relevant financing, workforce supports, tariff relief measures and other assistance.
Determine whether your products qualify for preferential treatment under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement and access guidance on rules of origin and compliance requirements.
Use the Canada Tariff Finder and other federal tools to identify tariffs and duties that may apply to your products based on destination and Harmonized System codes.
The Trade Commissioner Service can help eligible Canadian businesses identify potential markets, understand local business conditions, find qualified contacts, and pursue opportunities beyond existing export markets.
Find Business Programs & Services
Use the Government of Canada’s Business Benefits Finder to identify funding, financing, tax credits, advisory services, and other government programs that may be relevant to your organization.
Businesses affected by tariffs can access provincial information and assistance through Manitoba’s dedicated tariff support services. Support is available to help businesses understand available programs and navigate tariff-related challenges.
Use the Government of Canada’s Tariff Relief Finder to explore potential exemptions and relief measures for goods imported from the United States. The tool provides guidance on existing tariff relief programs and steps businesses can take to seek relief from applicable Canadian counter-tariffs.
Your Business. Your Experience. Your Voice at the Decision-Making Table.
Tariffs and trade uncertainty are creating real challenges for Manitoba businesses. From rising costs to disrupted supply chains and difficult business decisions, we want to understand what these pressures look like on the ground and what support would make a real difference.
The Manitoba Chambers of Commerce is bringing the voice of Manitoba business directly to decision-makers. We’ve joined provincial and territorial chambers across Canada in calling for stronger collaboration between chambers and the federal government to ensure business realities help shape tariff relief and support programs.
Now, we want to hear from you.
By taking a few minutes to complete the survey, you’ll help us better understand how tariffs and trade uncertainty are affecting your business, which challenges matter most and where support is needed. We bring these real-world experiences and insights to the table in our conversations with government, industry partners and other key stakeholders, helping ensure the perspectives and priorities of Manitoba businesses inform the discussions, solutions and supports that matter most.
Take the survey and help ensure Manitoba business has a voice in the decisions that affect its future.
Has your business been impacted by the recent tariffs?
The Manitoba Chambers of Commerce is collecting concrete examples of how the new tariffs could affect Manitoba businesses and jobs. If you’re able, please take the time to share how your business has been impacted.