Navigating Tariff Uncertainty: How the Regional Tariff Response Initiative Supports Southeast Alberta Businesses

Global trade disruptions continue to create uncertainty for Canadian businesses, particularly those operating in export-driven or supply-chain dependent sectors. Tariffs have placed pressure on costs, competitiveness, and long-term planning.

We had the opportunity to hear from Prairie Can in an Alberta Chamber of Commerce network call on February 3 and to learn more about the Government of Canada's Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI). This is a targeted program designed to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and supporting organizations adapt, diversify, and grow in a rapidly changing global trade environment. For businesses across Southeast Alberta, this initiative aligns with advocacy work of the Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce on trade, market access and promoting growth opportunities for business.

What Is the Regional Tariff Response Initiative?

The RTRI is part of a broader federal strategy to reinforce Canada’s industrial capacity and economic resilience in the face of global trade disruptions. It complements other national programs such as:

• Workforce Alliances and the Workforce Innovation Fund
• The Strategic Response Fund
• The Large Enterprise Tariff Loan Facility
• BDC’s Pivot to Grow Fund
• Export Development Canada's Trade Impact Program
• Various Agriculture supports

Together, these programs aim to strengthen Canadian businesses, protect jobs, and support long-term economic growth.

Through the RTRI, eligible applicants can access:

• Up to $5 million in repayable funding, or
• Up to $1 million in non-repayable funding

Funding is intended to support businesses and sectors negatively impacted by tariffs from the U.S., China, and or Canadian counter-tariffs.

What Types of Projects Are Supported?

The RTRI is designed to help businesses do more than just absorb tariff impacts. It focuses on investments that improve productivity, build resilience, and position companies for future growth. Supported activities may include:

• Expanding or strengthening domestic supply chains
• Diversifying into new domestic or international markets
• Reducing costs through efficiency, automation, or process improvements
• Enhancing competitiveness to offset tariff-related pressures

Priority is given to projects that:

• Use higher proportions of Canadian inputs
• Deliver strong economic benefits for the Prairie provinces
• Support local, regional, or national supply chains

This focus is particularly relevant for Southeast Alberta industries such as agriculture, agri-processing, manufacturing, transportation, and energy services.

Who Is Eligible to Apply?

Eligible applicants include:

• Incorporated companies, corporations, and co-operatives
• Indigenous-owned businesses and organizations
• Non-profit organizations that support businesses and industry sectors (note, funding for not-for-profits is fully allocated)

To qualify, applicants must demonstrate that:

• At least 25 percent of their sales are in tariff-impacted markets, or
• They, or the businesses they support, have been directly affected by ongoing trade disruptions.

Additional eligibility details are available through the RTRI portal or directly from program administrators: https://www.canada.ca/en/prairies-economic-development/services/funding/regional-tariff-response-in…

Why This Matters to Southeast Alberta

Southeast Alberta businesses are deeply connected to international and interprovincial trade. Whether exporting products, sourcing inputs, or operating within integrated supply chains, tariff uncertainty has real impacts on margins, investment decisions, and workforce stability. We want to ensure we provide:

• Advocacy for fair and competitive trade conditions
• Support to strengthen regional supply chains
• Support for business resilience and diversification
• Ensuring Southeast Alberta companies have access to federal programs and funding

The Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce continues to work with government partners to ensure local businesses are informed, prepared, and positioned to access programs like the RTRI. 

For Southeast Alberta companies, this means opportunities not just to manage short-term pressures, but to invest in long-term solutions that strengthen our regional economy.

Learn More and Apply

Businesses and organizations interested in the Regional Tariff Response Initiative can find full program details and application information at:

• RTRI Application Portal:
  https://www.canada.ca/en/prairies-economic-development/services/funding/regional-tariff-response-in…

If you have applied, please let us know how it's going. If you are unsure whether your business or organization qualifies, or how this program may align with your growth plans, the Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce encourages you to reach out to us and we can connect you with the contacts you need to help. Supporting members through changing economic conditions and connecting them to timely opportunities remains at the heart of the Chamber’s work.