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A New Canadian Trade Office Opens in Arizona
Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng was in Arizona for the fourth meeting of the USMCA (Agreement) Free Trade Commission. The day before attending the gathering, however, she met with Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs to announce the development of a new trade office.
The office will be located in the Valley, also known as the Phoenix metropolitan area of Arizona. The location will be established by the Canadian government and staffed by approximately four people. This office adds to Canada’s existing trade office in Southern California and strengthens the Northern Nation’s presence in the Sunbelt.
The Canadian Trade Office will serve as a hub for promoting trade and investment between Arizona and Canada. The goal of this project is to strengthen the bilateral relationship between the Parties and to increase FDI (Foreign Direct Investment). From 2018 to 2023, to add some perspective, there were at least 20 FDI projects from Canada in Arizona. Canada is one of Arizona’s strongest trading partners (second only to Mexico). Last year (2023) alone, saw trade between Arizona and Canada reach $5.3 billion.
As for specifics, the role of the office will be to actively promote Canadian goods, services, and investment opportunities. It will encourage connections between Canadian companies and Arizona partners. The staff will assist Canadian investors looking to establish or expand their presence in the state. It will host regular seminars and events aimed at connecting businesses in the two countries and there is also the possible opportunity for the office to organize cultural and educational programs.
Leading the initiative in the United States is the ACA, the Arizona Commerce Authority. Their goal is to grow and strengthen Arizona’s economy with their three-pronged approach. They aim to attract out-of-state companies, work with existing companies in Arizona and to assist entrepreneurs with creating new businesses within the state. They currently maintain several international offices in Mexico, Europe, Taiwan, and the Republic of Korea. If you would like more information on this new Canadian Trade Office, or on international trade in general, please contact Allyn International at sales@allynintl.com or 239-489-9900.
Allyn International Services, Inc. (Allyn) is a privately-owned supply chain management, tax and customs consulting firm established in 1992. Our services comprise of supply chain & logistics management, global trade compliance and US tax compliance. Allyn offers customized solutions to meet your global needs with offices in Fort Myers, Fla., Shanghai, PR China, and Prague, Czech Republic.
Contributor: Bronwyn Hayes
Sources:
Maple in the desert: Arizona gets Canadian trade office | Arizona | thecentersquare.com
International Trade (azcommerce.com)