Alabama Secretary of Commerce Greg Canfield leads a delegation to Savannah, Georgia, for the Southeastern United States-Canadian Provinces Alliance Conference, reinforcing our common economic ties and hoping to expand commercial opportunities.
The event, which runs through Tuesday, features networking, business-to-business meetings and panel discussions on topics including supply chain resiliency, sustainable agriculture and electric vehicle adoption.
Canada is one of the state’s top international trade partners. The country ranks as a top 5 foreign investor in the state, with more than 80 Canadian companies located in Alabama. It also is the state’s second largest export market, with shipments valued at $3.5 billion in 2021, a figure that jumped 18% from the prior year. Alabama is also a top U.S. destination for goods from Canada, with imports topping $3 billion last year.
“Over many decades, we have built a partnership that relies on respect, discovers meaningful pathways to collaborate, fosters innovative solutions and advances common goals,” said Canfield. “This is a special relationship, and its benefits are self-evident — working closely together, we have driven economic growth, sparked job creation and generated new opportunities.”
Several Alabama companies are represented at the conference, including Page & Jones Inc., a shipping logistics firm based in Mobile; SWJ Technology LLC, a Tuscaloosa engineering firm; Excelsior Staffing, a Tuscaloosa staffing firm; and Automation + Controls Engineering, a Mobile firm specializing in engineering services.
“Canada is a critically important market for Alabama, and this conference features business matchmaking to encourage trade and business development,” Christina Stimpson, director of the Office of International Trade at Commerce.
