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Relationships are critical in today’s globally dynamic marketplace. They are the driving mechanism behind so many industries, from agricultural production to international trade, and we could not be successful today were it not for our strong partnerships, especially those internationally.
Recently, I led a group of agriculture-focused delegates on an economic development trip to Canada’s Manitoba Province to strengthen Indiana’s global economy by targeting growth in key sectors, primarily agriculture. We participated in business round tables, held meetings with senior government and university officials and toured research facilities. Together, we brought back not only a better understanding of the importance of our trade relationship with Canada, but also how to further develop economic growth between Indiana and Manitoba.
To provide some insight, our trade relationship with Manitoba is a two-way street worth $1.1 billion in 2017, which was an increase of 36 percent from 2013. Indiana is the province’s seventh largest trading partner in the U.S., and nearly 190,000 Indiana jobs depend on trade and investment in Canada. Indiana exports more product to Canada than any other country in the world and is home to 70 Canadian businesses – like CN Railway, Dorel Juvenile Group, KIK Custom Products and Magna Powertrain. It is paramount that we maintain our strong trade relationship with Canada and Manitoba, so we can continue to grow our economic footprint.
We know Indiana has strong agricultural ties, and Manitoba benefits from the trade and economic growth the industry brings. While there, we signed a memorandum of understanding to expand cooperation to several areas including agricultural research and development, youth education and leadership and trade investment. This agreement lays the groundwork to establishing long-term, cooperative relationships between our two jurisdictions.
As a result of the MOU, Indiana and Manitoba will establish working groups, comprised of education, agriculture, business and government leaders, to discuss progress made under the agreement, identify additional areas of growth and, of course, keep those lines of communication open. This ensures a clear path forward and is the first step towards taking our economies to the Next Level.
Canada is Indiana’s strongest import and export partner, and we value and appreciate the investments the country has made into our state. We look forward to building on this strong foundation and working together towards a brighter future.
We want to keep a good thing growing.
