Together, with the existing Alberta Washington Office and the Alberta Mexico Office, the three new offices will promote Alberta’s economic, policy and trade interests in the U.S. and Mexico, further supporting economic integration in North America.
Alberta’s office in Mexico will also be integrated into the U.S. network to ensure coordination across North America.
“By expanding our network in the U.S., we better promote and protect Alberta’s interests with our closest and most important neighbours. This expansion will also be instrumental in promoting trade opportunities for Alberta businesses and creating good jobs for Albertans right here at home.”
“There has never been a better time for Alberta to strengthen its relations with policy-makers and business leaders in the United States. These new offices will help provide the representation we need to protect Alberta’s vital economic interests in the U.S. and Mexico.”
“Alberta’s new trade offices in key U.S. cities strengthen Calgary’s connection to major international markets as we continue to attract record levels of investment and welcome the world’s best talent and innovative companies to solve global challenges in our city, from cleantech, agribusiness and life sciences to transportation, fintech and film production.”
“The economies of Alberta and the United States are increasingly interdependent as physical infrastructure, trade and investment flows grow across North America. The expansion of Alberta's U.S. trade office network will serve to enhance the strong ties we already have with our southern neighbours and ensure we are connecting into all of the strategic markets in the U.S. and Mexico that support our regional strengths.”
“The United States is Alberta’s largest trading partner, and by expanding their office network, the Government of Alberta is also expanding the potential for new investment and job creation in our province while opening up new markets for our goods.”
“For many years, Alberta international offices have provided excellent trade services for business and investment attraction support for international investors. We support the government’s plan to go to key U.S. hubs with deliberate trade intentions. Relationships matter and building strategic relationships with our U.S. counterparts in-market will enhance supply chain, freight and technology opportunities for the Edmonton region.”
“With increased risk of protectionism, it’s critical we continue to grow our presence in key markets in the United States to ensure we can bring more Alberta goods and services to our largest trading partner. This move is an opportunity to keep existing doors open, open new doors for Alberta businesses to expand their markets, as well strengthen supply chains.”
The offices in Chicago, Denver and Seattle will open at no additional cost to taxpayers. Funds from the Ministry of Jobs, Economy and Innovation will be reallocated to cover the costs of opening and operating the new offices.
The Seattle and Chicago offices will open on June 1, 2022, and will be co-located in the office of the Canadian consulates to help better advocate for Alberta’s interests and complement the federal government’s engagement in each city. The Denver office will open at a later date, as space becomes available in the Canadian consulate in that city.
Quick facts
- The U.S. is Alberta’s largest trading partner and Mexico is Alberta’s third-largest bilateral trading relationship.
- Within the U.S., Illinois and Washington State are Alberta’s two largest economic partners, with exports to Illinois totalling approximately $25.8 billion and exports to Washington totalling approximately $7.5 billion in 2020.
- In 2020, Alberta’s exports of goods to the U.S. totalled C$77.5 billion.
- Alberta’s exports to the U.S. accounted for approximately 85 per cent of provincial exports in 2020.
- Energy products accounted for approximately $59.2 billion, 77 per cent of Alberta’s exports to the U.S. in 2020.
- Other important export sectors in 2020 included chemicals and plastics ($6 billion), agriculture and agri-food ($4.8 billion), manufacturing ($3.1 billion) and forestry ($2.9 billion).