GVSU Trade Mission To Canada

GRAND RAPIDS -- Grand Valley State University's Van Andel Global Trade Center is hosting a week-long business trade mission to Canada beginning Monday, Sept. 24. The trip will expose Michigan businesses to prospects for additional or new export sales with Canada.

Sonja Johnson, executive director of the Van Andel Global Trade Center, said: "Nearly $1 trillion in bilateral investment and trade occurs annually between Canada and the United States. The close proximity, free trade agreement, as well as similarities in business cultures and language give Michigan businesses an excellent opportunity to start or grow existing export sales to Canada."

Highlights for the trade mission include a stop in Toronto for manufacturers to have an opportunity to attend the Advanced Manufacturing Expo, and one-on-one meetings with potential customers, sales representatives and distributors to build future export sales opportunities in that market.

An additional stop in Montréal will allow attendees to participate in the U.S. Delegation Value-Added Program for the 2012 Aerospace Global Supply Chain Summit coordinated by the U.S. Department of Commerce Commercial Service Office in Ottawa and Aéro Montréal.

As part of the State Trade Export Promotion Program designed to assist small- to medium-sized enterprises diversify their customer base and enter new global markets, many of the businesses attending the trade mission are eligible to have a portion of their costs covered by the federal program.

For more information, contact Sharon Ward, global resource specialist at the Van Andel Global Trade Center, (616) 331-6811.