Mission Statement - Aerospace Supplier Devleopment Mission to Canada

The U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service in Canada is organizing an Aerospace Supplier Development Mission to Montreal, May 5-6, 2009. This aerospace mission is designed to provide U.S. aerospace export-ready, small to medium-sized companies (SMEs) with a highly efficient and cost-effective opportunity to establish profitable commercial relations with prospective agents, distributors and end-users in Canada’s aerospace market. Participating U.S. companies will receive market intelligence briefings by Canadian industry experts, networking opportunities and most importantly, pre-scheduled, pre-screened one-on-one meetings with Canadian aerospace company representatives. Mission participants will also benefit from visiting key local aerospace original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and speaking with procurement managers about supply chain opportunities. This mission is an ideal opportunity for U.S. aerospace companies to gain valuable international business experience in a low risk, highly important market. Canada has the fifth largest aerospace industry in the world. This mission presents strong potential for high returns given these factors and the ongoing support of the U.S. Commercial Service in Canada. U.S. participants will also have the option to go on to Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary or Vancouver for additional matchmaking services.

Canada is a very receptive market to U.S. goods and services and represents an ideal opportunity for the U.S. Commercial Service, both in the United States and Canada, to advance our ITA goals to broaden and deepen the U.S. exporter base and help our SMEs achieve export success. The United States and Canada share the largest and most dynamic commercial relationship in the world. In 2008, two-way merchandise trade crossing our common border with Canada stood at US$596.9 billion, or more than US$1.6 billion per day as U.S. exports to Canada grew by 5.0percent. Today, U.S. trade with Canada exceeds total U.S. trade with the 27 countries of the European Union combined. Canada also represents the number one export market for 36 of our 50 states and is among the top five export markets for another ten states.

In 2008, Canada was the fourth largest export market for U.S. aerospace products, generating close to US$7.5 billion in U.S. export sales. Canada’s aerospace industry is the fifth largest in the world; in 2007 total aerospace sales were US$22.7 billion, of which US$16.5 billion were in the aircraft and aircraft parts industry sub-sector. Canada is a world leader in the global aerospace industry and a market leader in regional aircraft, commercial helicopters, turbine engines, flight simulators and a broad range of aircraft systems, components and equipment. Quebec is at the heart of the Canadian Aerospace Industry. Over 60percent of all Canadian aerospace production and approximately 70 percent of Canadian aerospace research and development is performed within a 30-mile radius of Montreal. Quebec’s aerospace industry alone is the sixth largest in the world.

Montreal is home to renowned industry leaders such as Bombardier Aerospace, Bell Helicopter Textron, Pratt & Whitney Canada, and CAE. To this exceptional concentration of world leaders, we can add other big names such as Rolls-Royce Canada, Héroux Devtek, Messier-Dowty, CMC Electronics – Esterline, Thales, and many other suppliers, mostly SMEs, which form a cluster of over 250 aerospace firms.

Canada’s geographic proximity, open market economy, stable business climate and receptivity to U.S. goods and services make it the number one gateway to the international marketplace for thousands of U.S. export-ready SMEs. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which provides U.S. NAFTA qualifying products with duty-free entry into Canada, also contributes to the relatively low-cost, low-risk, access that U.S. SMEs can use to prosper and grow in the global marketplace.

The trade mission’s goal is to introduce U.S. exporters of aerospace supply chain products to potential end-users and partners, including potential agents, distributors, and licensees, with the aim of creating business partnerships that will contribute to increasing U.S. exports to the Canadian aerospace market, particularly the aircraft and aircraft parts market. The trade mission’s goal intends to advance ITA’s goal to broaden and deepen the U.S. exporter base by providing individual participants with opportunities to achieve aerospace export success in Canada. A particular focus on NTE/NTM companies will be made in our recruitment process to help these companies export successfully to Canada.

Participants in the mission to Canada will benefit from a full range of business facilitation and trade promotion services provided by the U.S. Commercial Service in Canada, including: meetings with individuals from both the public sector (e.g., aerospace trade officers) and private business. Participants will receive a briefing by a panel of experts on the Canadian and Quebec aerospace markets, as well as an overview of the country’s economic and political environment. The mission will include one-on-one business meetings between U.S. participants and potential Canadian end-users and partners, and tours of some of the largest aerospace original aerospace manufacturers, where companies will have the opportunity to meet senior OEM representatives and learn about planned projects and expected procurement needs. A networking event is being planned in Montreal. Follow-on Gold Key service with business meetings in other Canadian cities can be set up after the trade mission to Montreal for an additional price, depending on participants’ wishes.

Matchmaking efforts will include the support of the following Canadian Aerospace Industry multipliers: Quebec Ministry of Economic Development, Export and Innovation, Industry Canada, the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and the Quebec Aerospace Association.

Prior to the end of the mission, Commercial Service staff will counsel participants on follow-up procedures.

The proposed schedule allows for about two full days in Montreal. Efforts will be made to accommodate participating companies who express an interest in traveling to a second Canadian city after the Montreal program for additional matchmaking services.

All parties interested in participating in the Commercial Service Aerospace Supplier Development Mission to Canada must complete and submit an application package for consideration by the Department of Commerce. All applicants will be evaluated on their ability to satisfy the selection criteria as outlined below. A minimum of 10 and maximum of 15 companies will be considered for the mission

Fees and Expenses: After a company has been selected to participate on the mission, a participation fee paid to the U.S. Department of Commerce is required. The participation fee will be $3,100 for large firms and $2,000 for a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME)¹, with up to two company representatives. The fee for more than two company representatives is $250 per additional participant. Expenses for travel, lodging, in-country transportation (except for bus transportation to visit local aerospace OEMs on the second day of the mission), meals and incidentals will be the responsibility of each mission participant.

Selection Criteria for Participation: Selection will be based on the following criteria:

Referrals from political organizations and any documents containing references to partisan political activities (including political contributions) will be removed from an applicant’s submission and not considered during the selection process.

Mission recruitment will be conducted in an open and public manner. Outreach will include posting on the Commerce Department trade mission calendar (http://www.ita.doc.gov/doctm/tmcal.html) and other Internet web sites, press releases to general and trade media, direct mail, broadcast fax, notices by industry trade associations and other multiplier groups, and publicity at industry meetings, symposia, conferences, and trade shows. CS Canada is conducting a webinar on aerospace opportunities in the Canadian aerospace market on March 17, 2009. We intend to promote the Aerospace Supplier Development Mission to Canada during the webinar.

The mission will be open on a first-come, first-served basis. Recruitment for the mission will begin immediately and close on April 6, 2009. Applications received after April 6, 2009, will be considered only if space and scheduling constraints permit. Applications will be available online on the mission website at: http://www.buyusa.gov/Canada.

Information can also be obtained by contacting the mission contacts listed below.

Lead:
Gina BentoAerospace Commercial Specialist
U.S. Consulate General in Montreal
PO Box 65 Desjardins Station
Montreal, QC H5B 1G1
Tel: 514-908-3660
Email: Gina.Bento@mail.doc.gov

Diane Mooney
U.S. Commercial Service in Seattle
Tel: 206.553.5615, ext. 236
E-mail: Diane.Mooney@mail.doc.gov

¹ An SME is defined as a firm with 500 or fewer employees or that otherwise qualifies as a small business under SBA regulations (see http://www.sba.gov/services/contracting opportunities/sizestandardstopics/index.html). Parent companies, affiliates, and subsidiaries will be considered when determining business size. The dual pricing reflects the Commercial Service’s user fee schedule that became effective May 1, 2008 (see http://www.export.gov/newsletter/march2008/initiatives.html for additional information).