Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne declared victory over the weekend that New York had dropped proposed "Buy American" provisions from its state budget, but she remained concerned Saturday about U.S. protectionism and uncertainty about the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Governor Andrew Cuomo had proposed the New York Buy American Act, which would have required all state entities to buy from American companies on new purchases worth more than $100,000 U.S. But legislators reached a deal Friday that left "Buy American" provisions out.
Wynne called it a success for her government's lobbying efforts in Albany, saying it "reflects a clear understanding among New York state's political leaders of just how important our ongoing partnership is to both economies."
If New York's "Buy American" provisions had passed, Wynne told the media her cabinet would had introduced legislation that would have allowed the province to provide a stronger response, concerning the province's own purchasing policies and would have been "proportional" to New York's "Buy American" policy.
Ontario had feared New York's "Buy American" policy could have had a domino effect with other states if it was approved.
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