Mission Description:

The U.S. Department of Commerce, Commercial Service in Toronto and Montreal are organizing a U.S. Building Products Trade Mission to Canada. The Mission will include U.S. companies in the building products industry including equipment and services. The participants will have one-on-one meetings with pre-screened agents, distributors, representatives, licensees, and joint venture partners in Canada.

Commercial Setting:

The Canadian construction industry employs more than 820,000 men and women, generates about US$88 billion in revenues annually, and accounts for about 12 percent of Canada's GDP. In 2003 the gross output for this industry, which measures the total value of inputs and outputs, including inflation, will rise to US$91 billion, and up again in 2004 to $94 billion. Residential construction, which accounts for approximately 52% of total construction in Canada, is set to reach a 12-year high in 2002. Total housing starts will peak at 182,000 units this year representing an increase of 18% over 2001. Multiple housing units will register a growth of 16%. The majority of growth in new residential construction will take place in Ontario and Quebec over the next two years.

The trend in Canada to renovate continues to boom for two main reasons: the aging of the existing housing stock increases the need for repairs and updating, and; the shrinking level of household formation results in the need for fewer new units. The outlook of Canada's renovation sector remains very bright and the upward trend in renovations pending will continue at least until 2003. Total spending will climb to US$18 billion in 2002, up from $17.2 billion in 2001. Sales of existing homes will continue to support renovation spending, especially in Quebec and Ontario and will generate business opportunities for manufacturers of building products.

The U.S. Commercial Service projects that the export sales of building products and construction materials will continue to flourish during the next five years in Canada's buoyant residential construction and renovations markets. U.S. exporters, with products/services for the housing industry will benefit by Canada's booming building products market.

Mission Goals:

The mission's goal is to provide U.S. firms with first-hand market information and access to key government officials and potential business partners for new-to-market, and/or new-to-export U.S. building products firms desiring to enter the Canadian market.

Mission Scenario:

Participants will visit Toronto for two days, and Montreal for the next two days. At each stop, the Commercial Service will provide an extensive market briefing, schedule one-on-one appointments with potential business partners for each participant, and arrange a reception to introduce the participants to key business and government officials in the construction sector.

Timetable:

Mission participants will arrive in Toronto, Canada on March 3. The participants will have two days of business appointments in Toronto (March 4-5), travel to Montreal on March 5, and have two days of appointments in Montreal (March 6-7). The mission will conclude in Montreal on March 7.

Recruitment and Criteria for Participation:

• Relevance of the company's business line to mission goals
• Potential for business in the selected markets
• Timeliness of the company's completed application, participation agreement and payment of the mission participation fees
• Provision of adequate information on the company's products and/or services and communication of the company's primary objectives to facilitate appropriate matching with potential business partners
• Certification that the company's products and/or services are manufactured or produced in the United States or if manufactured/produced outside of the United States, the product/service must be marketed under the name of a U.S. firm and have U.S. content representing at least 51 percent of the value of the finished good or service.

Any partisan political activities of an applicant, including political contributions, will be entirely irrelevant to the selection process.
The Mission will be promoted through the following venues: the Export Assistance Centers; the Federal Register; relevant trade publications; relevant trade associations; past Commerce trade mission participants; various in-house and purchased industry lists, and on ITA's Internet home page.

The Trade Mission will include up to 12 companies. The participation fee will be $1,600. Recruitment will begin immediately and will close on January 24, 2003, approximately five weeks prior to the start of the mission. Applications received after that date will be considered only if space and scheduling constraints permit.

Contact Information:

Rita Patlan, Project Manager
U.S. Commercial Service
U.S. Department of Commerce
Toronto, Canada
Tel: (416) 595-5412, ext. 223/Fax: (416) 595-5419
Email: Rita.Patlan@mail.doc.gov

Connie Irrera
U.S. Commercial Service
U.S. Department of Commerce
Montreal , Canada
Tel: (514) 398-9695 , ext. 2262 / Fax: (514) 398-0711
E Mail: connie.irrera@mail.doc.gov
Web site: http://www.buyusa.gov/Canada