Florida is hot with opportunity – the first mission in May was so successful, Team Canada Atlantic (TCA) has decided to return with another delegation of companies to the southern state again this fall.
The latest trade mission to Orlando and Miami is planned for October 29 - November 2, 2006 and recruitment will begin in the coming weeks. The second trade mission will allow repeat companies to follow up on the contacts and partnerships established last month and allow new participants to establish and build on new contacts.
The Central I-4 Corridor (Tampa/Orlando/Cape Canaveral) and the Southeast (Miami-Dade/Broward/Palm Beach areas of Florida offer opportunities in the areas of advanced manufacturing, including aerospace and defence; agri-food and seafood; building and construction products; consumer products; information communications technology; life sciences; and ocean industries, including boat building.
“Increasing our exports and creating employment through trade and investment is a priority for this government. The work of the Team Canada Atlantic mission supports that priority,” said the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA). “A follow-up trade mission to Florida will help the participating companies to expand their relationships and partnerships in this important market. We have an opportunity to build on the success of the first mission. It is an opportunity for growth that more Atlantic Canadian companies can capitalize on.”
“The Government of Prince Edward Island is pleased to support Prince Edward Island companies in their efforts to enter, expand and increase their sales potential in the exporting world,” said the Honourable Premier of Prince Edward Island, Pat Binns. “Previous Team Canada Atlantic trade missions have proven to assist in the creation of new job opportunities in our Province. They additionally improve our ability to compete in a global economy as they pave the way for new business possibilities in the future."
TCA is a partnership of ACOA, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Industry Canada, Foreign Affairs Canada, International Trade Canada and the four Atlantic provinces. It is committed to strengthening the trade and investment relationship between Atlantic Canada and the United States.
Eleven previous trade missions – to the New England states, Atlanta, New York, Washington D.C., and Chicago – have helped 360 Atlantic Canadian entrepreneurs to meet with close to
3,000 agents and business owners from across the United States, resulting in export sales of more than $37 million.
Visit www.teamcanadaatlantic.com for more information.
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Trade and Investment
• Canada and the United States share the world’s largest and most comprehensive trading relationship, which supports more than two million jobs in both countries.
• Approximately $1.8 billion in trade crosses the Canada-U.S. border every single day.
• More than 80 per cent of Atlantic Canada exports are destined for U.S. markets. Exports create one out of every three new jobs in Atlantic Canada, and for every $1 million in exports, 8 to 11 full-time positions are sustained.
• The United States is the largest foreign investor in Canada and the most popular destination for Canadian investment.
• In 2005, Atlantic Canada sold $393 million worth of goods to Florida. The top exports to the state were newsprint, seafood, and oil and gas.
Sources: Trade Data Online (www.strategis.gc.ca) and InfoExport
Florida
• Florida has a significant and growing presence in "new economy" sectors, such as: Life Sciences, Information Technology, Aviation/Aerospace, Homeland Security/Defence and Financial/Professional Services.
• Florida has one of the world’s most extensive multi-modal transportation systems, featuring international airports, deep-water shipping ports, an extensive highway and rail network, and Kennedy Space Center's standard-setting Spaceport.
• If Florida were a country, it would have the 15th largest economy in the world.
• Florida has the 8th largest economy in the Western Hemisphere.
Source: Enterprise Florida (www.eflorida.com)