GEORGIA – CANADA
Economic Development
Connection
Government & Commerce
Atlanta is home to the Canadian Consulate
General, established in 1973. The Consulate is one
of 20 Canadian diplomatic offices located in the
United States. In addition to Georgia, the
Consulate serves the states of Alabama,
Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and
Tennessee. The office promotes business
development, investment, tourism, culture and
information exchange between Canada and the
southeastern U.S. Louise Blais has served as
Consul General since September 2014. The office
celebrated 40 years of representation in Atlanta
in 2013.
Georgia is also home to the Québec Trade Office,
which promotes economic and political ties
between Québec and 11 southeastern states. The
office was established in 1977. Louise Fortin
currently serves as Trade Attaché.
The state of Georgia has had representation in
Canada since 1981, helping hundreds of
Georgia companies with export requests and
numerous Canadian companies with foreign
direct investment requests. Gail Morris has
represented Georgia in this market since 2010.
Georgia is a founding member of the
Southeastern United States-Canadian Provinces
(SEUS-CP) Alliance, which is designed to present
opportunities for businesses to enhance
commercial exchanges, promote two-way
investment and encourage technological and
scientific exchanges between and among six
southeastern states and seven Canadian
provinces. Georgia hosted the inaugural SEUS-CP
Conference in 2008.
The 2015 conference was held in Prince Edward
Island, Canada.
Governor Nathan Deal led a business mission to
Canada in 2012, calling on potential investors,
introducing Georgia as an ideal source for quality
products and services, highlighting tourism
opportunities and raising the overall profile of
the state.
Georgia and the province of Québec are also
members of the Regional Leaders Summit (RLS),
a strategic alliance of seven international regions
from four continents fostering the exchange of
best practices on topics of mutual interest.
Georgia hosted the 2014 Regional Leaders
Summit
The University System of Georgia offers at
least seven study abroad programs to
Canada. Study options include programs on
the sports industry, French language,
horticulture and education.
Trade Relationship
The North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA) between the U.S., Canada and Mexico
entered into force on January 1, 1994. NAFTA
created the world’s largest free trade area, linking
444 million people and producing $16.9 trillion worth
of goods and services.
EXPORTS: In 2014, Georgia exports to Canada
totaled nearly $6.5 billion, a 2.4% increase from the
previous year. Canada remains the largest export
market in the world for Georgia.
Top exports from Georgia to Canada include: motor
vehicles, bulldozers, acrylic polymers, insulated wire
and cable and carpets and other textile floor
coverings.
Georgia ranks as a top exporter within the United
States of the following goods to Canada: carpets
and textile floor coverings, frames and mountings for
spectacles and kraft paper.
IMPORTS: In 2014, Georgia’s imports from Canada
totaled more than $5 billion, an increase of 22.1%
from 2013. Canada ranks fifth among Georgia’s top
importer nations.
Georgia’s top import products from Canada include:
powered aircraft, copper, plastics, turbojets and gas
turbines and petroleum oils.
Capital Investment
At least 92 Georgia companies have operations in
Canada, including but not limited to:
Aaron’s, Inc.
AFC Enterprises, Inc.
AGCO Corporation
Equifax Inc.
Genuine Parts Company
NCR Corporation
Newell Rubbermaid
Rock-Tenn Company
The Coca-Cola Company
The Home Depot
UPS
There are at least 230 Canadian facilities
operating in Georgia, of which approximately
67 are manufacturing locations. These
Canadian-affiliated companies employ more
than 16,950 Georgians. A list can be found
online at insite.georgia.org.
A large Canadian investment in Georgia,
based on total employment, is Coreslab
Structures Inc., located in Jonesboro, Georgia.
The concrete manufacturing company
employs approximately 7,500 Georgians.
Transportation
Delta Air Lines offers daily direct flights from
Atlanta to Montreal and Toronto. Delta also
offers flights from Atlanta to Calgary and
Vancouver via connecting flights. Air Canada
offers daily direct flights from Toronto to
Atlanta. The United States operates border preclearance facilities in all of these locations.
About GDEcD
The Georgia Department of Economic
Development (GDEcD) is the state’s sales and
marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting
new business investment, encouraging the
expansion of existing industry and small
businesses, aligning workforce education and
training with in-demand jobs, locating new
markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists
to Georgia, and promoting the state as a
destination for arts and location for film, music
and digital entertainment projects, as well as
planning and mobilizing state resources for
economic development.
GDEcD’s Economic Development Representative in Canada
Gail Morris
Managing Director
State of Georgia - Canada
PO Box 48561 Long Branch
Toronto, Ontario M8W 4Y6 - CANADA
(+1) 416.255.1170
[email protected]
*Information valid as of September 2015