Ohio

A vibrant trade in consumer and industrial goods

Ohio is emblematic of the highly integrated nature of Canadian and U.S. manufacturers. For example, Ohio exported more car parts ($2 billion) than finished vehicles to Canada ($1.5 billion).

The Buckeye state is home to Ford and Honda vehicle assembly plants. Canada, in turn, sold nearly $1 billion worth of vehicle parts to the state, making it the main source of imported motor vehicle bodies, injection molds and transmission shafts.

Canada buys virtually all of Ohio’s exports of tissues and toilet paper (worth $229 million), and disinfectant washing agents (worth $617 million), including Purell products made by GoJo Industries at factories in the state.

Meanwhile, Canada is a key foreign supplier of vital goods that power Ohio’s economy, including crude oil, aluminum, copper wire and softwood lumber.

Canadian-owned companies employed more than 29,000 workers in Ohio in 2018. Among them are auto parts supplier Magna, restaurant chain Tim Hortons, Air Canada Cargo, Hatch and ATS Automation Tooling Systems.

What supporters are saying

“[USMCA] is a good agreement, good for jobs, good for small business…good for farmers, good for workers, good for our economy.”

Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), December 12, 2019

“Ohio companies that export are more resilient, no matter the future economic climate, than those that sell only domestically. And small businesses that export often begin with our nearby partners in Canada and Mexico, which can lead to confidence to explore more distant global markets.”

Lydia Mihalik, Director of Ohio Department of Development, December 10, 2019

“USMCA contains significant improvements and fixes to North America’s free trade rules that will benefit America’s manufacturers and ag producers, ensuring a level playing field. The deal will strengthen and modernize America’s innovation engine, expand access for U.S. goods, and eliminate red tape at the border.”

Adam Sharp, Executive Vice President of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, and Eric Burkland, President of The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association, September 4, 2019

Spotlight on Canadian business

USMCA spurs Canadian expansion in Ohio

Magna International, the Canadian-based Tier 1 automotive supplier, opened its fifth Ohio plant in 2020 – a 150,000 sq ft plant in Lancaster, OH, that makes seats for various vehicles, including plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. The $60 million plant has created 300 new jobs, adding to the roughly 2,700 people Magna employs in Ohio. The plant is equipped with advanced robotic laser and metal inert gas (MIG) welding tools. Magna operates 338 parts plants in 28 countries.

Making Ohio manufacturers more productive

ATS Automation, the builder and designer of automation systems that’s based in Cambridge, Ontario, recently consolidated two existing plants in Lewis Center, OH, into a new and larger 250,000 sq ft plant. The project boosted employment to 145 from 105 and increased its production of various machinery products, including power storage systems for automotive and industrial manufacturers. ATS chief executive Andrew Hider applauded the “rich local talent pool and collaborative business environment” in the Columbus area. ATS has 23 plants and 4,300 employees worldwide.

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