By ANN HINCH Associate Editor DETROIT, Mich. — Indiana business owners wanting to branch into Canada or Mexico have ready resources in Detroit, which is home to bureau offices for both countries that assist with export advice and guidance across each border. There’s the Consulate General of Canada, which serves Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky; and nearby, ProMexico Trade and Investment Detroit, which serves those states plus Illinois. The Canadian Consulate, said trade commissioner Brittany Foley, helps both Canadians and Americans understand the other country’s political and regulatory environments. For example, some Canadian business owners need to know the United States’ lower energy costs in certain areas; whereas a U.S. business owner needs to understand Canada’s socialized health care system. She said the office also helps with screening of prospective suppliers, product and industry training and education, being a presence at trade shows and conferences and even providing a halfway physical meeting point for U.S. business representatives who don’t want to have to cross the border each time. Right now, Foley said in Canada there is a great deal of focus on trying to grow its research and innovation workforce, and in partnering with U.S. manufacturers in the automotive and mobility industries. “The border is pretty thin,” she said of how interconnected the economies of Canada-U.S.-Mexico are. Canada is not alone in economic growth. ProMexico Director of the Trade and Investment Commission Eastern Midwest Angel Ramirez said while his country ranked 15th in world economies two years ago, it is projected to rise to No. 8 by 2050. Out of 190 countries, he pointed out either rank is pretty powerful. “You have to change your mind of what Mexico is,” he said, explaining its facilities and processes are more technologically sophisticated than is sometimes credited even in 2018. Ramirez said Mexico has free trade pacts in place with 46 countries, which is more than twice the United States’ 20 free trade partners. Growth in Mexico right now is coming in investment from European and Asian original equipment manufacturers. He said software development and medical device manufacturing are growing sectors. The Canadian Consulate can be reached at 313-446-7017 and the ProMexico office at 248-336-0320. A wider world of sales An export resource more local to Hoosiers is the U.S. Commercial Service, under the federal Department of Commerce. Mark Cooper, director in Indianapolis, explained he can help businesses here find export partners overseas to market their products and services – in Canada or Mexico, or beyond. For instance, he said a common mistake business owners might make is not knowing the market climate well enough. Cooper cited the example of a popcorn seller he knew who wanted to sell in Japan but didn’t understand that his product didn’t pop up in low-wattage Japanese microwaves the way they do here. Another example was the ag sprayer manufacturer who wanted to sell in India – until he learned that country’s crop plots are far smaller than U.S. farms. Cooper can be reached at 317-226-6290. Another resource is the Indiana Small Business Development Center (ISBDC). Andrew Reinke – owner of Foreign Targets, Inc. of Indianapolis, who aids ISBDC clients with export expertise – pointed out last year Indiana sold $38 billion in exports, a 9 percent increase over 2016 and higher export value per capita than economic powerhouse California. Of this, $13 billion went to Canada and more than $5 billion, to Mexico. Those wishing to learn more about the ISBDC should visit https://isbdc.org Exports are 14 percent of U.S. gross domestic product, Reinke said – the highest in our nation’s history. More than 95 percent of the world’s customers and 75 percent of global purchasing power lies outside U.S. borders. “If you’re not willing to go to a foreign market … there are foreign businesses who are more than willing to come here and take your U.S. market from you,” Cooper said, encouraging entrepreneurs to think globally. “We can’t divest ourselves from the world,” he added, saying there is particular “dynamism” in Asian markets right now. |
