We’ve been posting a lot about the upcoming WEDC Virtual Trade Venture to Canada, and the Wisconsin-based companies participating in this year’s event. It’s an annual event, and we always look forward to helping these businesses find opportunities in the Canadian market.
Trade events such as these are important – small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are significant contributors to any economy, and accessing new markets is a good way to keep them strong.
The International Trade Administration’s website has a very comprehensive list of reasons why SMEs should export to new markets. And we’re particularly lucky here in North America – the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA, or USMCA as it’s known in the U.S.) and its predecessor NAFTA were designed to help businesses by ensuring that goods and services could cross our borders with few impediments. It’s a great roadmap to economic prosperity for the three member countries – and their SMEs.
We work with export development organizations (EDOs) in five U.S. states to help their client companies make connections in the Canadian market, and have included links to their export resources below; if your company is not in one of these geographic areas, we urge you to connect directly with your own state’s export office.
Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania’s Office of International Business Development (OIBD) offers both export and foreign direct investment assistance to help companies grow in Pennsylvania. The OIBD web page includes links to export success stories, country statistics, and trade zone info. Click the ‘international’ section on their web page to learn more.
North Carolina: The Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) is “dedicated to helping North Carolina companies–large and small–enter global markets.” Services offered include help with navigating trade agreements and language barriers, attending trade shows, filing the right paperwork and more. Click here to see the complete service page.
Michigan: The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) provides counselling, market analysis, and other services to help Michigan businesses bring their products to new clients. More info can be found here.
Ohio: Ohio ranks as one of the top 10 exporting states in the U.S. Its Development Services Agency’s export assistance services include counselling and education, connecting to new markets, and financial assistance. Visit their website to learn more.
Wisconsin: The Wisconsin Global Navigation Network (WGNN) offers resources and essential services that include global market identification, market analysis, and introduction to buyers and distributors, among others. Click here to see the full suite of resources offered.
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