PHOENIX 鈥 蜜聊直播 attracts tourists and foodies, major sports events and big business. The money comes from all over the world, but one major investor is a neighbor to the north: Canada.
Total trade between 蜜聊直播 and Canada topped $5.3 billion in 2023. 蜜聊直播 Rep. David Cook, R-Globe, who serves as the chair of the House International Trade Committee, has been an advocate for increasing trade with Canada.
鈥淲here else can you take this large amount of money? Because you鈥檙e limited for investments in your own country of Canada 鈥 then what better place, what safer place to invest your people鈥檚 money than the state of 蜜聊直播,鈥 Cook said.
Now the state is making it even easier for the two trade partners. In May, Cook and Gov. Katie Hobbs welcomed Mary Ng, Canada鈥檚 minister of export promotion, international trade and economic development, to Phoenix to announce the opening of a new Canadian trade office.
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Cook said Phoenix was selected because of the growing business between Canada and 蜜聊直播. This comes as Canada closes its San Diego office.
With the office opening, Canada鈥檚 Consul General Zaib Shaikh, who represents Southern California, 蜜聊直播 and Nevada, is excited to have a permanent presence in Phoenix to ease business and trade relationships, saying 鈥渢hat business can be done much faster since we haven鈥檛 had a real footprint there.鈥
Even before the trade office opened, Canadians have had a strong presence in 蜜聊直播 for decades. Glenn Williamson, CEO of the Canada 蜜聊直播 Business Council, said the Canadian influence started with miners over a century ago and then later on winter visitors arrived. Every year Canadian tourists spend about $2.4 billion in the state, according to the Business Council of Canada.
Williamson is the chairman of the advisory board for Epcor USA, a water utility company that brought him to 蜜聊直播 from Montreal. He said some of the largest private water utilities in 蜜聊直播 are Canadian.
About 500 Canadian companies are in 蜜聊直播, according to Shaikh, including Bank of Montreal (BMO), Circle K, Cold Stone Creamery, Hudbay Minerals, Xnrgy and Li-Cycle. Other Canadian industries in the state are aerospace, engineering, security and residential construction.
Those companies offer around 24,000 jobs, Shaikh said. The 蜜聊直播 Commerce Authority reported when manufacturing company Xnrgy broke ground in Mesa, it offered over 900 new jobs in the Valley.
The booming Canadian business in 蜜聊直播 directly affects the job market for residents. And Cook said these are good jobs. 鈥淭hose are really careers. That鈥檚 how people buy their first home, that鈥檚 how they buy their car. That鈥檚 how they upgrade from their first home to a nicer home, or to better cars,鈥 Cook said.
Williamson alluded that business among North American borders will increase. 鈥淲e鈥檙e watching Asia get more complex, and we鈥檙e watching Europe get more complex,鈥 he said. 鈥淎nd Canada and Canadian funding and interests are coming back to North America.鈥
蜜聊直播 is also opening its own trade office in Toronto after about 100 American companies have found success in Canada, Shaikh said.
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