Chamber’s IBC and Consulate General of Canada Co-Host Successful Canadian Delegation

The State of Texas and Canada continue to expand their mutually beneficial trade relationship. 521,750 jobs are created or maintained in Texas each year from Canadian -U.S. trade. The state’s exports to Canada rose by over 18% while bilateral trade flows increased by $1.8 billion over the previous year. As a result, Canada remains Texas’ second largest export market. The Dallas/Fort Worth region also has a close relationship with Canada, trading more than $600 million for 2008 and remaining as its 21st top trading partner, primarily in cargo.

The Dallas Regional Chamber’s International Business Council co-hosted with the Consulate General of Canada a business breakfast welcoming a CentrePort Canada Inc. Delegation on January 13, 2010. The Honorable Peter Bjornson, Minister for Entrepreneurship, Training & Trade, of Manitoba, Winnipeg talked about the strengths for investing in their city and how CentrePort Canada Inc. has incentivized global trade in their region. “CentrePort is North America’s newest Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) and the first inland port in Canada to offer single-window access to FTZ benefits: tax savings, combined with other business incentives, make the 20,000-acre area an attractive, cost-effective location for manufacturing, distribution and warehousing operations.” The CEO of the project, Diane Gray mentioned that one of the greatest benefits of their inland port is their location which connects markets from eastern and western Canada, the U.S. and NAFTA corridor, Europe and Asia.

Sarah Carabias-Rush, the Chamber's Managing Director for international business presented Dallas/Fort Worth region's strengths as a leading center for international business. “Our region shares a number of similarities with Mannitoba and the new Winnipeg based CentrePort project," suggested Carabias-Rush. "Both represent a hub for east-west and north-south trade. It was an honor to share our region's experience in the development of these kinds of projects." The region DFW’s central U.S. location is equally close to North America’s five largest business centers: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Mexico City and Toronto. The region’s central time zone location, one hour behind the east coast and two hours ahead of the west, extends the working day for companies doing business on both coasts. More than 50 million people can be reached from DFW overnight by truck or rail and 98 percent of the U.S. population can be reached within 48 hours.”

After presentations Chamber member companies had the opportunities to network with the delegation, share ideas and develop new relationships.

For more information on CentrePort Canada Inc. please contact Riva Harrison at (011-204) 784-9543 or at riva.harrison@centreportcanada.ca.

The Dallas Regional Chamber maintains an active North American Competitiveness Task Force through its International Business Council. The Task Force identifies opportunities for North Texas business in NAFTA region, and supports the Chamber’s efforts to attract Canadian and Mexican businesses to North Texas. For more information on the Chamber’s initiatives in the NAFTA and international space, please visit www.dallaschamber.org/global or contact Anakarina Piña at (214) 712-1968 or apina@dallaschamber.org.