This post was written by jedi_wp

A few weeks ago, JEDI participated in an international business development program in Wetaskiwin hosted by one of its economic development partners, Central Alberta Access Prosperity. JEDI is committed to helping local and foreign investment, the development and expansion in central Alberta, and supporting the growing number of businesses in the region aiming to go global. As such, attending the event to learn more about the expansion of programs available for global export for those in the JEDI region was of great benefit.

The Office of the Chief Economist says, based on exporter profile data from Statistics Canada, Canadian companies who export internationally are more productive overall than those who focus solely on the domestic market. According to the same data, Canadian exporters tend to be larger, more efficient, produce more output, provide more jobs and pay higher salaries than their non-exporting counterparts.

Alberta, in particular, has been the second largest provincial exporter in Canada since 2001, with its top five export markets being the United States, China, Japan, the European Union and Mexico. Goods from Alberta were imported by 195 countries and worth an estimated $121.4 billion, in 2014 alone. The value of Alberta’s exports to the U.S. was $68.064 billion in 2016.

However, despite the opportunities for international growth from the region, only a small percentage of Central Alberta’s small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are exporting their products or doing business internationally. JEDI understands and supports the need to grow the region’s SMEs which will, in turn, grow and diversify our economy.

Central Alberta has an undeniable natural edge, especially in terms of the region’s transportation. It has four major high-capacity highway systems, including the CANAMEX Corridor which connects Canada, the United States and Mexico. This highway infrastructure provides a highly effective distribution point for goods and direct links to many other major North American highways.

The JEDI region is between two airports, including the Edmonton International Airport only 35km away. The airport boasts the only scheduled freighter service between mainland China and Canada: Air China Cargo. As such, businesses in the JEDI region have a direct route that connects high-value shipments between three global economic powerhouses: Canada, China and the United States.

For regional commercial and industrial businesses, JEDI provides assistance in planning for international export or growth. We can also help identify key global markets that make sense for local business, and provide guidance with operational and financial business needs for those with cross-border ambitions.

In short, JEDI aims to link businesses in the region with global opportunities, and is only one of the services we provide. Should you wish to learn more about international business development, please contact JEDI directly.

Terms:

Categorised in: Events, News