Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs and Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng, Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development, today announced the establishment of a new Canadian trade office in Arizona. The Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be opening a new trade office in Arizona, which will strengthen the bilateral relationship between Arizona and Canada, increasing trade, economic development, and foreign direct investment (FDI) collaboration opportunities.
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Governor Hobbs and Minister Ng were joined by Zaib Shaikh, Consul General of Canada in Los Angeles; Sandra Watson, President and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority; Glenn Williamson, CEO, Canada Arizona Business Council; government representatives, industry and community leaders.
“The new trade office represents a significant step forward in the Arizona – Canada partnership,” said Governor Katie Hobbs. “As one of Arizona’s strongest trading partners, this new trade office will serve as a hub for promoting trade and investment between Arizona and Canada, while fostering economic growth and creating new opportunities for cross-border collaboration.”
“We’re excited this new Canadian trade office will be based in Arizona,” said Sandra Watson, President and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority. “The new trade office builds on Arizona’s long-standing relationship with Canada while showcasing Arizona’s attractiveness as a global epicenter for business.”
From 2018-2023, there were at least 20 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects from Canada in Arizona, the most from any country. These projects accounted for $1.59 billion in capital investment and 2,677 projected new jobs.
Canadian companies with a presence in Arizona include XNRGY, which recently broke ground on its $300 million manufacturing facility and U.S. headquarters in Mesa, creating over 900 new jobs, and Li-Cycle, which opened its lithium-ion battery recycling facility in Gilbert in 2022.
In 2023, total trade between Arizona and Canada surpassed $5.3 billion. Arizona companies exported $2.7 billion worth of goods to Canada – Arizona’s second-largest export market, and Arizona imported $2.6 billion worth of goods from Canada.
