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Editor’s note: This article is contributed by Dr. Diane Alleva Caceres, founder and managing director of Market Access International, Inc., through a partnership with Global Atlanta.
With U.S.-Canada relations facing a period of uncertainty, a June conference bringing Southeastern states and Canadian provinces together for the 17th year shows that sub-national ties have an even greater role to play in this vital trade partnership.
The bilateral situation has settled a bit since newly elected Prime Minister Mark Carney visited President Trump in May to discuss a possible path forward.
But with hurdles still in sight, states, provinces and their companies are leaning on the creative ways they’ve crafted over the decades to drive business forward.
These entities have developed strong partnerships, especially in cross-border trade, supply chain integration and innovation ecosystems across industries, from aircraft and automotive to fintech and renewable energy.
These relationships, based on mutual benefit, have helped drive productivity, competitiveness and opportunity in both countries and in fast-growing states.
Some evidence: Canada was Georgia’s top customer in 2024, buying $7.4 billion in exports from the state. Overall, Canada was Georgia’s fifth largest trading partner, reaching $13.9 billion in exports and imports behind Mexico, China, South Korea and Germany.
These healthy commercial relationships will be on display at the June 8-10 SEUS/CP annual conference in St. John, New Brunswick, which offers a fast track for Georgia firms seeking to engage with Canada.
Market Access International, our firm, has managed the B2B matchmaking segment of the conference since its inception, giving us a profound sense of the opportunities in cross-border trade with Canada — and what’s at stake if we devalue this relationship.
What do we lose if we lose Canada as our neighbor?
- We lose trust, an essential foundation for business and family relationships and friendships. Trust is difficult to rebuild once lost.
- We lose our highly integrated manufacturing and just-in-time production systems, especially in the automotive, aerospace, electronics, and pharmaceutical industries. Inputs in these industries cross the border back and forth several times before ending in final product assembly.
- We lose supply chain security and resilience that are much needed during pandemics and other shocks.
- We lose cross-border innovation ecosystems in fintech, biotech, new battery and energy technologies.
- And we lose access to much-needed critical minerals and natural resources.
The cost of rebuilding these relationships would likely outweigh the benefits resulting from the current U.S. trade policy towards Canada.
Why engage across the border when the U.S.-Canada relationship is at a historic impasse?
One response is that non-engagement could deepen the divide, which could have even longer-lasting, negative results.
Canadian firms and political leaders are designing new economic strategies that diversify their export markets, decrease their reliance on the U.S. market, strengthen alliances, break down international trade barriers among their provinces and invest in pro-growth policies in support of current and new industries.
As difficult as it may be, engaging in dialogue to rebuild understanding and trust personally and professionally is critically important. This trust at the grassroots level can help create a strong foundation that can guide both countries towards a renewal of the relationship.
Facilitating cross-border trade with SEUS-CP 2025
SEUS-CP is a strategic trade and investment-focused partnership that was established in 2007 to formally advance a common interest in enhancing economic ties between six Southeast U.S. states (Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee) and six Canadian provinces (Ontario, New Brunswick, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island).
The alliance enables both U.S. and Canadian firms to generate opportunities through dialogue and a renewed commitment based on trust.
The annual SEUS-CP event brings together small and medium-sized manufacturers, distributors, tech providers and procurement leaders from top global companies within the SEUS-CP alliance to build connections and unlock new supply chain opportunities.
It is also a platform to support dialogue and to build relationships among the state governors, provincial premiers or their designees of the participating 12 SEUS-CP states and provinces.
Hosting this year, New Brunswick will focus on advanced manufacturing, new and diverse energy sources and technologies and food and beverage supply chains.
Five anchor companies will participate in procurement/buying needs in these areas:
- JD Irving
- Marshall Canada
- Crosby Foods Ltd.
- New Brunswick Power
- Cooke Aquaculture
Specific needs range from packaging solutions in the food industry to logistics to smart grid technologies, among many others.
For further details, see https://seus-cp.com/b2b-program/participants/.
We encourage companies, research institutes and academic institutions to participate in the forum, including customized, one-on-one B2B meetings, panel discussions, networking and a Gala evening.
Next year, Greenville, S.C., will host the SEUS-CP event, June 14-16, 2026, focusing on advanced energy, mobility/transportation and life sciences.
Market Access International, Inc. has had the honor of being SEUS-CP’s third-party private sector partner since 2008. Since then, we have seen a vibrant, successful relationship develop and intend to continue to work towards this end.
Register for SEUS-CP at https://seus-cp.com/.
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