SALT LAKE CITY - Gov. Gary R. Herbert will lead a trade mission to Canada from November 1-3, 2011. Canada has been Utah's 2nd largest trading partner for the past six years, with exports to Canada in 2010 reached $1.2 billion dollars.
"The importance of this trade mission cannot be understated," said Miguel Rovira, regional director for the Americas for the Governor's Office of Economic Development's International Trade and Diplomacy Office (ITDO). "Because Canada is such a large part of the state's export economy, local businesses really need to be involved. Business leaders who travel with the Governor will have unprecedented networking opportunities with prominent Canadian businesses."
Herbert's goal in leading this trade mission is to help Utah businesses increase exports to Canada, promote foreign direct investment opportunities and tourism, and strengthen educational ties between nation and state. Those who may be interested in applying for membership in the trade mission can contact Miguel Rovira at ITDO, mrovira@utah.gov.
"People often think a nearby, English-speaking nation will be easy to enter, but that is frequently not the case," said Rovira. "Those who attended the last trade mission to Canada recognized the value of a governor-led trade mission."
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has further provided Utah exporters with a clear competitive advantage over other foreign competitors in Canada. Through NAFTA, Utah products, with the exception of a few agricultural products, enter Canada duty free.
In 2010 Utah shipped $13.57 billion in merchandise exports to international markets. According to the U.S. International Trade Administration and U.S. Bureau of the Census, direct exports support jobs linked to manufacturing in Utah account for an estimated 93,000 jobs for Utah families.
The U.S. government announced that Utah's exports are showing a 31% increase over the previous record set in 2009.
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