The International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Commercial Service in Canada is organizing a two-stop “Meet the Buyers” trade mission to Toronto and Montreal.   The trade mission will enable U.S. manufacturers of hardware, home improvement products, lawn and garden equipment and building products establish commercial relations and sell their products in Canada’s hardware and home improvement retail market.   This event is designed to provide U.S. companies in the above-mentioned manufacturing sectors the opportunity to explore the Canadian market and establish commercial relations with prospective buyers from Canada’s retailers, independent agents and distributors.   The Trade Mission also provides U.S. firms with an opportunity to become familiar with Canada’s hardware/home improvement retail market, the fastest growing segment of the overall Canadian retail sector.

The trade mission will take place in Toronto and Montreal and will include a full range of educational and business seminars, as well as networking sessions with buyers, agents and distributors. There will also be product and service display facilities, and extensive market exposure in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec.   Trade Mission participants will benefit from a full range of business facilitation services provided by the U.S. Commercial Service, including market research, business briefings, networking events and logistic support in each city.  

For US$2,750*, “Meet the Buyers” trade mission participants will receive:

• Pre-event briefings by industry experts and specific market research
• Half day seminar in each city featuring Canada's top hardware/home improvement buyers
• Business networking lunch in each city with invited and pre-screened agents, buyers and distributors selling to the Canadian hardware/home improvement market
• Facilities to conduct business meetings and to display product samples and promotional materials and meet with additional agents, buyers and distributors
• Full logistical support, including hotel bookings at preferred rates, expedited custom clearance for exhibit materials and promotional materials, assistance with set-up of displays, and more
• Individual business counseling and referral services.

(* The set fee of US$2,750 is for a maximum of one individual per company.   Additional company representatives pay an additional US $1,000/per stop for full participation in all Seminars & Networking Sessions)

Commercial Setting

Trade between the United States and Canada has more than doubled since the Free Trade Agreement (the predecessor of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)) was implemented in 1989.   Today, U.S. – Canada trade is valued at more than US $1.4 billion per day and it continues to grow.   Canada is the number one export market in the world for U.S. hardware, home improvement, building and lawn & garden products and equipment.   The United States currently supplies approximately 75% of Canada’s total imports in these product categories.   Total retail sales by all hardware stores, building centers and home centers in Canada, including hardware/home improvement/seasonal sales, were valued at C$29.6 billion in 2002 and grew by 8.2% to C$32 billion in 2003.   It is, by far, the fastest growing segment of the overall retail sector in Canada.   The province of Ontario represents 33.5% of retail sales in this industry, followed by Quebec representing 22.6%.   In terms of its size, receptivity, proximity and similarity to the U.S. economy, the Ontario and Quebec markets offer U.S. firms the very best prospects for success in exporting hardware, home improvement, building and lawn & garden products and equipment in Canada.  

Mission Goals

• To provide U.S. export-ready, small and medium-sized firms a means to develop and establish valuable long-term business contacts in Canada, our number one export market
• To provide state, regional and local governments with a ready-made program which can be used to introduce their rural and minority-owned small to medium-sized exporters to the Canadian hardware/home improvement market
• To provide all individual participants and multipliers with a successful export development experience in Canada.

Mission Scenario

“Meet the Buyers” trade mission participants will be advised to arrive in Toronto on Monday, April 25 and

check-in at the hotel designated by the U.S. Commercial Service.   The mission program will begin on the evening of April 25, 2005, with an informal no-host icebreaker dinner.

A breakfast briefing on Tuesday, April 26, 2005, will include welcoming remarks and presentations dealing with the Canadian hardware/home improvement commercial climate and business practices. Immediately following the briefing, participants will participate in a half-day seminar where they will have an opportunity to hear first hand from top buyers of Canada and Ontario’s largest home improvement retailers on how to successfully market and sell products to their organizations. Following the seminar, the U.S. Commercial Service will organize a business lunch where buyers from mass merchants, big box retailers, independent agents and distributors will be invited to attend and meet with U.S. participants.   The Networking Opportunities Session will commence immediately following the lunch and will continue throughout the afternoon.   At the Networking Opportunities Session U.S. participants will be provided with a 6’ skirted table and will be able to promote, display and meet with prospective buyers, agents and distributors.

On the morning of Wednesday, April 27, participants will visit Canada’s leading hardware/home improvement retailers.   In the afternoon, participants will make their own arrangements to travel to Montreal where a repeat of the same program (as in Toronto) will take place beginning on the evening of April 27 with a no-host ice-breaker dinner. On April 28-29 the program will focus on the Quebec hardware/home improvement retail market.

Timetable

Recruitment for the “Meet the Buyers “trade mission will begin with the release of this mission statement and publication of this announcement in the Federal Register.

The trade mission will accommodate a total of 10 U.S. participants.

Registration Ends:   February 28, 2005

Toronto stop

Participants arrive in Toronto:   April 25, 2005
Icebreaker dinner:   April 25, 2005
Breakfast briefing: April 26, 2005
“Meet the Buyers” seminar:   April 26, 2005
Business lunch:   April 26, 2005
Networking Opportunities Session:   April 26, 2005
Visits to several of Canada’s top hardware/home improvement retailers:   April 27(morning)
Participants travel to Montreal:   April 27 (afternoon)

Montreal stop

Participants arrive in Montreal:   April 27, 2005
Icebreaker dinner:   April 27, 2005
Breakfast briefing: April 28, 2005
“Meet the Buyers” seminar:   April 28, 2005
Business lunch:   April 28, 2005
Networking Opportunities Session:   April 28, 2005
Visits to several of Canada’s top hardware/home improvement retailers:   April 29 (morning)
End of event :   April 29, 2005

Follow-up:   as long as required.

Recruitment and Criteria for Participation

Recruitment for “Meet the Buyers” trade mission will be launched via a notification to all U.S. Export Assistance Centers. Promotional brochures will also be sent to state trade offices; small business associations; and relevant U.S. multipliers and trade associations.   The Commercial Service in Toronto will also publicize “Meet the Buyers” trade mission on the Commercial Service Canada’s homepage: http://www.buyusa.gov/Canada and in the Federal Register.

The criteria for participation are as follows:

• “Meet the Buyers” trade mission is open to any U.S. manufacturer of hardware, home improvement products, lawn and garden equipment, and building products that are generally sold in hardware/home improvement and big box stores

• Export-ready, small-to-medium sized, companies with special emphasis on New-To-Export/New-To-Market
• The company’s products and/or services must be manufactured or produced in the United States.   If the company’s products and/or services are manufactured or produced outside of the United States, the product/service must be marketed under the name of a U.S. firm with U.S. content representing at least 51% of the value of the finished goods or service
• Timely submission of completed application/registration materials and payment of the participation fee
• Provision of adequate information on the company’s products and/or services and communication of the company’s primary objectives
• Certification that the company meets the Department of Commerce’s guidelines for participation.

Any partisan political activities of an applicant, including political contributions, will be entirely irrelevant to the selection process.

Contact Information

Rita Patlan, Project Manager
U.S. Commercial Service, Toronto
Consulate General of the United States of America
480 University Avenue, Suite 602
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M5G 1V2
Tel: 416/595-5412, Ext. 223
Fax: 416/595-5419
E-mail: rita.patlan@mail.doc.gov

Connie Irrera
Commercial Specialist
U.S. Commercial Service, Montreal
Consulate General of the United States of America
P.O. Box 847
Champlain, New York 12919
Tel: (514) 398-9695, ext. 2262
Fax: (514) 398-0711
E-mail: connie.irrera@mail.doc.gov