Bridging British Columbia & Southern California

Bridging British Columbia & Southern California
 

While there has justifiably been a lot of focus on opportunities pertaining to emerging countries in Asia and Latin America, we can often forget about the significance of the trade relationship between Canada and the US, which is the second largest bilateral trade relationship in the world. The US is the largest economy in the world and its most populated state, is also home to the 6th largest economy of the world with an annual GDP exceeding $2.5 trillion.

With a population of close to 40 million, California has had a long-standing relationship with Canada and BC.  Within California, Southern California with a population base of over 22 million brings in combination with BC a total combined population of almost 27 million connected within the same time zone only 2.5 hours away by plane.  Many BC residents know Southern California from childhood trips to Disneyland while many Southern Californians know BC through Alaska cruises or ski trips to Whistler. In fact, today the annual number of air passengers traveling between Vancouver and Southern California exceeds 1 million passengers a year, almost 200,000 more than that between Vancouver and Mainland China.  Vancouver has 124 flights a week in the summer to Southern California more than twice that for Toronto.  The extent of travel demand and air capacity really speaks to the depth of the trade, travel, and migratory relationships between the two regions.

As is well known, these regions have the first and third largest film and TV production centers in North America and with the continued growth in production in BC, most major Hollywood TVand film personalities have at one time, filmed in BC.  Further synergies between the regions lie in the commonality of industry sectors such as: agri-foods, tourism, life sciences, clean technology, aerospace, information technology, and of course, the creative industry.  Companies such as Sony Pictures Imageworks, Lionsgate Productions, Disney, Encore Hollywood, Ledcor, Onni group, and many others have established offices in both locations. 

A further common trait between BC and Southern California is the depth of their relationships with Asia, as both jurisdictions are extremely well positioned as gateways from their respective countries to Asia.  As a common catalyst, both locations have a sizeable demographic of local Asian diaspora built up over many generations of immigration and trade flows.

As BC Ambassador for Maple Business Council, I am looking forward to welcoming back to Vancouver the principals of MAPLE Business Council, Robert Kelleand Stephen Armstrong, as they make a return visit on April 16th. This trip follows on their initial visit to our region during the BC Tech Summit in 2017.  This year, they will be joined by Mr. Stephen Cheung, President of the World Trade Centre - Los Angeles, who will be our keynote speaker at our reception hosted by PWC, and generously supported by the Vancouver Hotel Destination Association, Air Canada, and Snell & Wilmer LLP.

For more information on the ties between British Columbia and Southern California and opportunities to support MAPLE in the province, please contact Jason Tse at jason@maplesocal.com.

Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights at the U.S. Border

Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights at the U.S. Border

Intellectual property rights in the United States – in the form of patents, copyrights, and trademarks - provide protection to a company when its technology is used by others without permission.   The most common way to enforce these rights is through a court action for infringement.  However, intellectual property owners should also be aware of an additional avenue in the United States that provides a powerful mechanism for enforcing their rights – the United States International Trade Commission.

Based in Washington DC, the International Trade Commission (ITC) is an administrative agency tasked with enforcing U.S. trade laws.  Within the arena of intellectual property, the ITC receives complaints regarding infringing products that are entering the United States, and has the ability to issue import bans that block these infringing products at the U.S. border.  The ITC can also block the sale or distribution of infringing products that have already been imported.  However, the ITC cannot be used to recover monetary damages.  The ITC is available to owners of U.S. patents, copyrights, and trademarks, and has also been used to assert claims of false advertising and unfair competition.  The ITC’s rules require completion of its investigations in an expedited manner.  As a result, the ITC typically issues decisions about 16 months from the start of an investigation, a timeline that is faster than many U.S. court proceedings.  
           
To obtain an import ban, a company needs to show (1) infringement by goods being imported into the United States; and (2) an industry in the United States that is using and investing in the intellectual property that is being infringed.  This second “industry” requirement is unique to the ITC.  It requires proof of authorized products that use the intellectual property and proof of U.S. investments.  After the ITC issues an import ban, it is enforced by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, who monitors ports of entry for the infringing products.    

The ITC has become an increasingly popular avenue for enforcing intellectual property rights.  Over the past five years, more than 240 such investigations have been filed at the ITC, with the vast majority involving claims of patent infringement. In those investigations, five have included Canadian companies enforcing their rights in the U.S.  In addition, over twenty Canadian companies have been the target of ITC investigations during this same time frame.  
           
Because of the speed of the ITC and its ability to issue import bans, companies who have invested in U.S. intellectual property rights should consider the ITC when developing an enforcement strategy.

Ms. Sheila Swaroop is a partner at the Irvine, CA office of Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear, LLP. She can be reached at sheila.swaroop@knobbe.com. For more information on Knobbe Martens, please visit www.knobbe.com.
        

Top Five Investment Management Tips for Canadians Living in the U.S.

Top Five Investment Management Tips for Canadians Living in the US
 

A move across the Canada/US border can have significant financial implications.  Many executives and professionals who make this move receive tax and legal guidance but are often left to navigate investment and financial matters for themselves.  Below are some helpful tips and advice to make sure you are aware of some very important factors. 

Canadian Currency – May take currency hits when moving investment assets across the border.  Canadian dollar assets when moved to most US brokers will often result in currency conversion to US dollars.  Work with a cross-border investment specialist who offers portfolio services in Canadian and US dollars.

Consolidate Assets – Having assets at multiple institutions often results in investment portfolios that lack a cohesive investment management strategy, resulting in portfolios that are out of balance.  Working with a dually-licensed financial advisor to manage investments on both sides of the Canada/US border can help to ensure investments are properly diversified and balanced to reach your investment objectives.

Get a Financial Plan – With scattered assets there often is a gap in planning and people don’t know where they are at with their financial goals.  Engaging a cross-border specialist to develop a plan encompassing all your financial assets is a solid start.  As part of this process engaging cross-border legal advisors to ensure wills and power of attorney documents are in place and are valid in both jurisdictions.  People with cross-border realities have situations that are complicated and need expert advice to get on track.

Canadian and US Retirement Accounts – With special exemptions, Canadian advisors can manage RRSP’s for Canadian clients residing in the US – tax filings are required by the IRS for RRSPs.  Some US states, including California, do not recognize the Canada/US retirement account tax treaty and the RRSPs are subject to tax on realized gains and income earned.  Take advantage of contributing to IRAs and 401k plans.  Work with an advisor who is dual licensed and understands retirement plans and their tax treatment on both sides of the border.

Canadian non-registered investment accounts – Due to US securities legislation these accounts cannot be held by Canadians residing in the US unless held with a US registered brokerage firm.  These accounts must be managed by a US licensed advisor like Raymond James (USA) Ltd.  Investment structure is important for Canadians living and working in the US.  If there is the desire to move back to Canada “someday” it would be wise to hold investments that are portable over the Canada/US border. 

For more information visit www.phwealthadvisory.com
Bernardine Perreira Financial Advisor
Perreira Hurly Wealth Advisory
647-776-2974

Financial Advisor, Raymond James (USA) Ltd.
Raymond James (USA) Ltd. (RJLU) advisors may only conduct business with residents of the states and/or jurisdictions for which they are properly registered. Therefore, a response to a request for information may be delayed. Please note that not all of the investments and services mentioned are available in every state. Investors outside of the United States are subject to securities and tax regulations within their applicable jurisdictions. Contact your local Raymond James office for information and availability. Investing in foreign securities involves risks, such as currency fluctuation, political risk, economic changes, and market risks. Raymond James (USA) Ltd., member FINRA and SIPC.

Borders in Flux: How the NAFTA Debate Could Reshape US-Canada Immigration

Borders in Flux: How the NAFTA Debate Could Reshape US-Canada Immigration

The ongoing talks over NAFTA continue to be a fixture of political news. With the Trump administration determined to overhaul decades of US trade policy, political leaders and diplomats remain at odds over what a reformed NAFTA deal should look like – or whether the agreement will even persist at all. With the trade pact potentially under threat, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has even embarked on a US speaking tour aimed at making the case for why NAFTA can benefit both Canada and the US. 
 
Much of the NAFTA news coverage has focused on potential impacts to key industries like agriculture and manufacturing. Yet in addition to trade, the NAFTA dispute carries major implications for another hot-button issue: immigration. A major restructuring – let alone a full dissolution – would cause significant fallout for employment-based immigration between Canada and the US, including a program called the TN visa.
 
Created by NAFTA in 1994, the TN gives skilled professionals from Mexico and Canada a temporary pathway toward living and working in the United States. Workers from a wide range of industries can benefit from the program, including attorneys, accountants, programmers and more. Because it enables quick, low-cost movement of labor with the possibility of indefinite renewal, the TN has long been a popular option for US firms seeking to hire Canadians. In contrast, other US employment visas like the H1-B are more competitive, have stricter time limits, and require more investment on the part of the employer.
 
Yet with NAFTA facing significant changes, the TN’s future looks increasingly unclear. If President Trump terminates the deal, TN holders could become unemployed at a moment’s notice, having lost the right to work in the States. Not surprisingly, some Canadian TN holders have already started returning to Canada, seeking a greater degree of security. The confusion could also deter American companies from hiring Canadians in the first place, says Canadian immigration attorney Ilene Solomon.
 
“The uncertainty is definitely having a cooling effect on the cross-border mobility that we’re used to,” Solomon says.
 
In fact, the Trump administration’s stiffer immigration stance has already made the current TN process less predictable for applicants, with border entryhaving become more challenging. “We’re seeing a much higher level of scrutiny,” says Paul Altmann, an immigration lawyer with our firm, D’Alessio Law Group. “Border officers have gotten much stricter about the kinds of documents they’ll accept, particularly with the TN.”
 
The potential impacts to labor mobility also flow in the other direction. Canada currently offers a NAFTA Work Permit that serves as a counterpart to the TN, letting Mexican and American nationals enter the country to work. Many Canadian industries rely on the permit to bring in US specialists, a valuable resource given America’s large population and talent pool.
 
Without a pathway geared toward US nationals, however, these candidates would instead follow the same process as potential temporary workers from other countries, forcing them to compete with a much larger applicant pool. This could then reduce their odds of approval, making it harder for Canadian companies to hire such workers. 
 
For these reasons, a removal of the NAFTA permit would represent a substantial loss for Canada, particularly in sectors like tech. Experts have argued the permit’s demise could particularly hurt certain Canadian employers who need to quickly bring over IT workers from the US, including those in tech-heavy cities like Vancouver and Toronto.
 
It’s not all doom and gloom though. Even if NAFTA doesn’t survive the current talks, cross-border employment could still take place quickly and smoothly. The US and Canada would simply need to negotiate new visas that offer the same provisions, just outside of a trade-based framework. In the meantime, both countries could extend a grace period to existing visa holders whose permits were nullified by NAFTA’s demise. Given the longstanding ties between the two countries, it seems politicians from both sides of the border would have incentives to find a solution.
 
All bets are off, however, especially with President Trump intent on reducing immigration across the board. Given the administration’s aggressive stance on both immigration and trade, as well as its push toward “Buy American, Hire American” policies, the future of US-Canadian border mobility remains very much in flux.
 
D’Alessio Law Group is a global law firm serving technology, entertainment, and corporate clients worldwide. With specialties in immigration and corporate practice, D’Alessio Law Group cuts through legal complexities so clients can thrive and succeed. The firm is headquartered in Los Angeles, with additional offices in Toronto, San Jose, London and Miami. To learn more, visit www.dalessiolawgroup.com or call (310) 909-3934.
 
Editorial Note: Please note some of the press links have a pay wall.

What is Your Cybersecurity Resolution?

What is Your Cybersecurity Resolution?

Executives of organizations at all levels should be focusing on and implementing effective CYBERSECURITY changes. One key concept executives could focus on related to their cybersecurity resolution should be related to Business Email Compromise (BEC).

BEC is a form of phishing attack where a cyber-criminal impersonates an executive, and attempts to get an employee, customer, or vendor to transfer funds or sensitive information to the phisher (Wennington, 2016). With global losses from BEC scams set to exceed US $9 BILLION in 2018, it is time to take action and make these changes. (Micro, Trend, 2017).
According to the FBI, there are 5 major kinds of BEC:

• The Bogus Invoice Scheme- Attackers pretend to be the suppliers requesting fund transfers for payments to an account owned by fraudsters. 
• CEO Fraud- Attackers pose as the company CEO or another executive and send an email to employees in finance, requesting them to transfer money to the account they control.
• Account Compromise- An executive or employee’s email account is hacked and used to request invoice payments to vendors listed in their email contacts.
• Attorney Impersonation- Attackers pretend to be a lawyer or someone from the law firm supposedly in charge of crucial and confidential matters.  
• Data Theft – Employees under HR and bookkeeping are targeted to obtain personally identifiable information (PII) or tax statements (Micro, Trend, 2017).

Steps to take to protect your organization from BEC scams:

• Call the individual who has sent you the request for money transfer
• Implement multi-factor authentication
• Run regular domain name spoof tests
• Ensure that your entire organization has undergone cybersecurity education courses
• Use a secure encryption communication service that follows the NIST framework when sending and receiving information

For more information, please visit www.xahive.com.

Warming to More than Just the Sunshine and Beaches

Warming to More Than Just the Sunshine and Beaches

It’s the middle of winter—a time when temperatures drop and many Canadians look toward Los Angeles, planning winter getaways that break up the long cold winter. But while Canadian vacationers come to L.A. seeking sunshine, beaches, and attractions like Disneyland and Universal Studios, a growing number of Canadian businesses head to the Southland because they see the wealth of investment, talent, and market opportunities available in the region.

Canadians likely know that Hollywood is the world’s leading entertainment center; L.A. boasts all six major entertainment studios. But L.A. does much more than movies. It is the third largest city economy in the world after Tokyo and New York.  The economy is highly diversified and the region is a welcoming place to do business. Indeed, the wide range of economic opportunities in L.A. may come as a surprise to some.

While many might associate manufacturing jobs with rustbelt cities like Chicago, Detroit, and Philadelphia, the L.A. metro area is actually the largest center of manufacturing in the U.S., with more manufacturing jobs than any other city. The manufacturing industry in L.A. County employs over 356,000 workers.

L.A. is also a leader in the aerospace industry. Aerospace components are consistently the top export from the region totaling nearly $6 billion in the first 10 months of 2017. The L.A. aerospace industry has a new breed of best-in-class companies like Aerojet Rocketdyne, Virgin Galactic, and SpaceX, which are built upon the region’s strong industry foundations. Today, SpaceX produces rockets made for space exploration in the same facility that used to produce fuselages for Boeing airplanes.

”Silicon Beach,” L.A.’s answer to Silicon Valley, has rapidly become a key market for tech innovation, with leading companies like Snap, Hyperloop One, and Riot Games establishing their headquarters here. L.A. is one of North America's top markets for high-tech employment growth, increasing industry jobs by 20% in 2015-16. L.A. County added over 12,000 tech jobs in the past two years, for a total of 72,226.  As Silicon Beach and Hollywood increasingly interface, L.A. has become a natural destination for leading content producers like Netflix, which now has over 800 employees and 500,000 square feet of office space in Hollywood.

L.A.'s High Technology Ecosystem

• $50 billion tech ecosystem
• $4 billion in startup funding in 2016
• 231 companies funded
• 64 exits worth over $6.5 billion
• 104 VC firms
• 32 accelerators
• 45 incubators
• This ecosystem supports the over 8,000 start-ups in L.A.

L.A. has also seen the emergence of thriving bioscience and clean technology clusters. The region’s bioscience cluster includes 600 companies and 57,000 employees. L.A.’s cleantech cluster includes more than 34 companies. The Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator is the hub for the industry, supporting emerging companies, providing access to prototyping labs to develop their products, and attracting visits from political leaders from across the world, including U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and Canadian Premier of Ontario Kathleen Wynne.

L.A.'s Bioscience Ecosystem

• 150 biotech firms in L.A. city
• 600 in L.A. region
• 57,000 employees
• Bioscience Hub supported by L.A. County

L.A.'s Cleantech Ecosystem

• $12 million in funding
• 34+ companies
• Home to the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator

These industries draw upon the region’s top ranked global universities, like UCLA, USC, and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), which graduate some of the nation's top engineers.

L.A.’s diverse economy and geographic location have made it the leading city in the country for international trade. In 2016, Los Angeles was the number one customs district in the country with $398 billion in two-way trade. With access to the world from the country’s number one and number two ports in Los Angeles and Long Beach, the region is the gateway between the Pacific Rim and rest of the United States. And the region’s major international airport, LAX, is the nation’s leading origin and destination airport with more than 80 million passengers passing through in 2016.

Just as Canadians value diversity, L.A.’s multicultural communities form the backbone of the city.  Over 220 languages are spoken here and almost any ethnic community can find a place that feels like home, from Little Armenia, to Koreatown, to Little Tokyo.  Los Angeles has the largest populations of Armenian, Burmese, Cambodian, Chinese, Filipino, Indonesian, Korean, Sri Lankan, Thai, and Salvadorian people outside of their home country. All this diversity provides the basis for a strong, and multi-skilled workforce that can help companies thrive and contribute to a massive consumer market. Los Angeles County is home to 10 million people and the Southern California region has a population of 22 million—or roughly a third of Canada’s total population.

Many Canadians and Canadian companies are already successfully conducting business in L.A., reaping the many benefits available to businesses in the region.  Toronto-based Brookfield is the largest owner of downtown office space in Los Angeles and has significant investments in the Port of Los Angeles and in the Southern California energy sector. In 2015, Toronto-based RBC bought L.A. largest bank, City National Bank.

So come visit our beaches, experience our sunshine, but please also check out the plethora of business opportunities available in L.A.

Eric Eide is a strategic advisor to MAPLE Business Council and principal at TradeWorks Global, a international trade and investment consultancy.

Business Resilience

Adapting quickly to significant disruptions while safeguarding people, assets and brand value marks a resilient organization.

Business resilience (sometimes also referred to as corporate resilience) is the ability of a business organization to quickly adapt to significant disruptions or other material adverse events while maintaining continuous business operations and safeguarding people, assets and overall brand value.  Resilient organizations do more than just survive disruptive events; they thrive in them, leveraging the challenges that arise in such events to demonstrate responsiveness, flexibility, and adaptability and to come out as stronger, more competitive performers.

Balancing a well-thought out, competitive business plan with appropriate risk mitigation considerations is essential for every successful enterprise.  However, this is often as much an art as a science, especially in many of the rapidly evolving business and technology environments in which companies operate today.  Business resilience involves adopting a coordinated approach to balancing organizational systems and processes with the promotion of an environment that encourages flexibility and pragmatism to both prepare for and respond to unanticipated challenges, including material disruptive events, as and when they arise.

Systems and processes that are properly designed, communicated and practiced at all levels of the organization should serve as the underlying architecture for the practical work of threat identification and response.  These include at their core having an organizational culture that both implicitly and explicitly promotes awareness and proactive behavior to identify material threats and challenges, ideally before they rise to the level of being disruptive, and to respond to such threats and challenges in a constructive, coordinated manner, utilizing available organizational resources (human, technological, informational, financial, etc.).  Among other things, such systems and processes should bring a degree of order in dealing with disorder and help mitigate potential adverse effects of what is sometimes referred to as the “human element”, including panic, impulsive or premature responses, poor (or no) leadership, disorganization, and improper or premature disclosures.

But systems and processes cannot be so restrictive as to inhibit timely and practical responsiveness.  As the old saying goes, “no battle plan survives first contact with the enemy.”  Which brings us to balancing the systems and processes element with the need for a workplace environment that not only permits but promotes flexibility, pragmatismand creativity in response to actual or potential disruptive events, both at the organizational and individual level.  Among other things, this means giving employees both the permission and the tools to be problem solvers, but to do so in an organized and collaborative manner.  It means creating a culture of ownership and ambassadorship in the organization at every level from executive management down to the lowest level employee that promotes and recognizes individual responsibility for the protection and advancement of the organization’s interests.

Two common examples of disruptive events where an organizational resilience culture can be seen to work include data security breaches and significant regulatory violations. Each of these types of events, if mismanaged, can be back breakers for otherwise well run organizations.  Applying the resilience culture in either of these situations means having in place both the systems and processes and the right people, acting collaboratively, to respond preemptively and effectively to identify facts or circumstances that may give rise to such events and to take timely actions that serve to prevent such events from occurring or at list mitigate the harm caused by their occurrence.  To the extent such events occur without the ability to prevent them or preemptively reduce their adverse effects, applying the resilience culture in their wake means (among other things) having systems and processes in place to objectively assess the harm caused or threatened by such events, control internal and external communications, and establish a chain of authority and responsibility for responding to such events, while at the same time having an environment that promotes coordinated and pragmatic actions by personnel to respond in ways that (a) do not make the situation worse and (b) work to safeguard the organization’s, assets, business, personnel and reputation.

Speaking preemptively in the case of data security, this means having systems and resources for ensuring broad internal awareness at all levels (i.e., not just limited to IT department staff) of an organization’s data security strengths and potential weakness and common external threats (e.g., phishing; hacking), regularly evaluating hardware and software systems for technical weaknesses and upgrading them as necessary, and promoting a mindset among personnel of watchfulness for threats and weaknesses and the ability (and expectation of them) to communicate concerns to the right people.

Similarly, in matters involving regulatory compliance (and avoidance of regulatory breaches) this means having systems and resources for periodically educating relevant personnel on regulatory requirements, monitoring business activities in real time to ensure they conform to regulatory requirements, timely reporting to the right people facts or circumstances that may give rise to noncompliance events, and having a culture that promotes timely identification and communication of potential concerns, as well as the ability of appropriate personnel to institute corrective changes on a timely basis necessary toconform operations to regulatory requirements.

And in circumstances where a disruptive data security breach or regulatory violation has occurred, application of the reliance culture includes having established systems and processes for ensuring a clear understanding of who is in charge of the response plan and how authority is delegated down, for collecting and analyzing relevant information relating to the event in question, for controlling external communications regarding the event (including with customers, regulators, law enforcement, media and the general public), for obtaining timely and effective advice and representation from qualified legal and other professional advisors, and for creating and executing a viable response plan.  It also includes having an environment in which personnel, working within the framework of such systems and processes, can undertake individual (albeit properly coordinated) actions to support such response plan.

Ultimately, business resilience is not about merely surviving adverse events, but having in place the operating resources and organizational culture to turn such events into opportunities to improve and thrive.

Workforce Strategy: Part of the New Brunswick Advantage

Workforce Strategy: Part of the New Brunswick Advantage

Many of the world's most successful companies are taking advantage of the Canadian province of New Brunswick's nearshore value proposition. The provincial government has placed a strong focus on further developing its strengths in sectors like information technology, finance, cannabis, advanced manufacturing, contact centers, and shared services. New Brunswick’s location is naturally strategic, enabling companies to work with all of North America and Europe in the same business day. Combine that advantage with its low cost of doing business and everything is in place to make an expansion both easy and profitable.

Opportunities NB (ONB), the province’s lead business development corporation, has created a Workforce Strategy Team to support their clients’ workforce development and talent recruitment efforts. ONB is the only economic development organization in North America to offer companies this unique value-added service. “While other jurisdictions struggle with immigration, New Brunswick understands the critical importance of companies being able to access great international talent,” says Stephen Lund, ONB’s Chief Executive Officer.

“We have had great success helping companies immediately understand New Brunswick’s labour market, saving them a considerable amount of time and money in the process,” notes Camille Bourque, Manager of Workforce Strategy. “ONB takes a collaborative approach with our municipalities to make the move as efficient as possible for companies. We make it easy and affordable for businesses to understand how to locate and recruit great talent in New Brunswick.”

We spoke with Camille Bourque, ONB’s Manager of Workforce Strategy, about her team, their mission, and their results.

What are Workforce Strategists?

ONB Workforce Strategists are located in each of the province’s economic development regions. Our team speaks with New Brunswick employers and job seekers every single day; we know which roles are in demand, and which sectors are seeing the most growth. Workforce Strategists help put those two pieces together.

This team brings a wide range of workforce development and recruitment-related expertise and experience to the table, and we know our respective jurisdictions well.

What is your team’s focus? What does the day-to-day look like?

Our Workforce Team focuses on the three pillars that comprise our organization’s action plan.

The first is Awareness. It is essential that we make people and communities inside and outside New Brunswick aware of the many opportunities available within our key sectors. This means not only job seekers, but parents looking for local opportunities for their children about to enter the workforce.

The second is Workforce Development and Education. We work closely with the Department of Post-secondary Education, Training and Labour (PETL) and New Brunswick’s post-secondary institutions to ensure they are connected with New Brunswick industry. We also maintain a frequently updated “Top Jobs” list, a summary of New Brunswick’s key new opportunities. We share this list with academic leaders every month to give them with a glimpse at vacant positions that require specialized skills. It also provides an overview of the sectors in demand across various regions of the province.

Keeping our post-secondary schools updated on the needs of New Brunswick companies helps them prioritize which programs may need to be added or expanded to as part of ongoing curriculum development. One recent example of this work is CCNB’s Cannabis Cultivation Technician program, launched to support the immediate workforce needs of Moncton’s OrganiGram.

And the third piece, which is a major focus for us, is Workforce Attraction and Retention. Working with our partners in PETL’s Population Growth Division and ONB’s own marketing division, Workforce Strategists are developing a host of workforce-related campaigns. These campaigns aim to attract more skilled workers to New Brunswick, both nationally and internationally, repatriate more New Brunswickers, and increase retention of the province’s youth. Our team engages with key partners in NB, building events and new initiatives to help jobs seekers meet the employers. Those events are very successful and keep the momentum going around New Brunswick being an exciting place to live and work.

There are a number of world-class companies operating in New Brunswick, we want New Brunswick’s young people to know that great opportunities aren’t coming to this province — they are already here.

Talk to us about results.

We have had great success helping companies immediately understand New Brunswick’s labour market, saving them a considerable amount of time and money in the process. ONB takes a collaborative approach with our municipalities to make the move as efficient as possible for companies. We make it easy and affordable for businesses to understand how to locate and recruit in New Brunswick.

A recent Telegraph-Journal article (Note: paywalled) featuring comments from ONB CEO Stephen Lund made reference to some of our investment attraction successes via cold-calling. Many of our success stories have included an immigration component; Toronto-based Dream Payments and Silicon Valley’s RevJet are notable examples. These technology companies have brought new arrivals to the province from Russia, Vietnam, and Ukraine. RevJet’s arrival in Saint John was announced in May 2016, and in October of this year, they informed CBC that their New Brunswick workforce was still growing steadily.

Companies like these work with our team for guidance and support on several immigration-related needs, including:

1. Immigration solutions for current staff looking to make the move to New Brunswick;
2. Finding the best international talent to further expand their team;
3. Retaining international students on a permanent basis; and
4. Helping newcomers connect with multicultural associations and find housing.

New Brunswick is also involved in the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Project, a unique employer-driven approach to attracting and retaining international talent. This is just one example of the many programs and solutions ONB can connect companies with at the provincial and federal levels. Our team’s work makes things easy for not only client companies but for job seekers.

Make Your Move

Job Seekers: make your next career move by visiting NBJobs.ca and browsing the thousands of well-paying open positions in New Brunswick.

Employers: make your move towards becoming the next New Brunswick success story by connecting with our Workforce Strategy team at talent@onbcanada.ca.

Why NAFTA Matters

NAFTA has been getting more and more attention of late and rightfully so, considering how critical it is to business on both sides of the border.

After four rounds of negotiations, important progress has been made in some areas, but there is now a lot of speculation about what might happen next.  As we head into the fifth round of negotiations this week, here’s what you need to know:
 
NAFTA is a success story
 
For starters, let’s understand that NAFTA has been an engine of middle class job creation.  Close to 14 million jobs in the U.S. alone depend on NAFTA – 9 million are supported by trade and investment with Canada and another 5 million by trade and investment with Mexico.
 
A wide range of local employers – from fruit and vegetable growers to the makers of everything from processed foods to consumer electronics and scores of products in between – would be hurt without NAFTA.  Tearing up the agreement could mean new tariffs at the border, basically hitting local manufacturers, wholesalers and scrappy international businesses with an unnecessary new cost for selling their products abroad and for buying what they need from Canada and Mexico.  This puts pressure on payroll.  Not to mention what it would cost consumers.
 
The fortunes of Canada, the US, and Mexico are bound up together.  The amount of trade we do with each other has more than tripled since NAFTA went into effect in 1993.  We buy things from each other to make things together and sell them to the world.  The flow of goods and people between our countries is so immense that a blow to any of our economies will be felt across the border and in our communities.
 
Winner-take-all won’t work
 
There is perhaps no better example of how NAFTA has allowed our companies to make things together than the auto sector.  Parts from all three member countries are used in the assembly of cars in all three countries.  The US recently proposed new rules requiring North American cars to have more US parts. This kind of national content requirement would severely disrupt the supply chains that keep North American-made cars cost-competitive. It would encourage imports from outside North America, jeopardizing tens of thousands of jobs in the US.  
 
This begins to illustrate the trouble with bringing a winner-take-all mentality into a trade negotiation. Yet in rounds three and four of the NAFTA renegotiations, we saw proposals that would turn back the clock on 23 years of predictability, openness and collaboration. Heading into the fifth round of negotiations later this month, negotiators must understand that if we don’t all win, we all lose.
 
We can’t let the sun set on NAFTA
 
Business thrives on stability.  So another recent proposal – a sunset clause that would throw NAFTA’s existence into question every 5 years –is also cause for concern.  A sunset provision would create an unstable environment and introduce tremendous uncertainty into major investment decisions made by major employers in the US, Canada and Mexico.  That’s not good business.
 
Canada’s priorities
 
Canada’s priority remains making improvements to NAFTA that help create jobs and opportunities for middle class families in all three of our countries.
 
We have a real opportunity to make this agreement better  – to make it more innovative, cut red tape for SMEs, extend its benefits to a greater number of people, and strengthen labor and environmental protections – and this is still achievable.  That’s what our negotiators are working towards.
 
Canada will continue to work for a good deal, not just any deal.  We’ll defend our national interests while making a good agreement even better for all of North America – including employers right here in Southern California.

Clearing the Northern Lights Haze - The Canadian Medical and Adults Use Cannabis Markets

Clearing the Northern Lights Haze - The Canadian Medical and Adults Use Cannabis Markets

As of June 30, 2017, there were 201,398 Canadians registered to purchase cannabis from licensed producers and 6,880 registered to grow for personal use in the federal regulations that support the Canadian medical cannabis market.1 Canadian licensed producers are large-scale indoor or greenhouse grows, some with hundreds of thousands of square feet of canopy. At market close on November 14, 2017, two publicly-traded companies that own licensed producers as primary assets had market capitalization values exceeding two billion dollars (CAD), and another two are between one and two billion. Each was listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, Canada’s senior stock exchange, each also holds international cannabis assets – chiefly in Germany and Australia. Cannabis is a big business in Canada and Canadian expertise is gaining global traction.

Medical cannabis has been legal and federally regulated in Canada for over sixteen years, through three major legislative updates. Canadian law is about to change again. The Government of Canada has committed todescheduling cannabis from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, and regulating cannabis for adult use under new legislation called the Cannabis Act. Canada will be the first G20 nation to step away from cannabis prohibition and toward regulation, with the twin goals of protecting youth and eliminating a key source of revenue for organized crime. The timeline leaves about seven months before the Cannabis Act becomes law, which will create a regulated adult use market for cannabis in Canada.

In California, medical cannabis use has been legal since 1996. In November of 2016, Proposition 64, the Adult Use Marijuana Act, was passed at the State level. In July of 2017, California merged the medical and adult use cannabis requirements, resulting in the Medical and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act. Counties and municipalities are now drafting regulations with respect to the taxation, production, retail sale and public use of cannabis. By January 1, 2018 many of these regulations will be in place and may differ from city to city.

California’s current medical cannabis market is based primarily on storefronts and delivery services. A wide variety of products are available on dispensary shelves, primarily dried flower (including pre-rolls), infused foods and beverages, concentrates (including in cartridges or disposable pens), topicals, tinctures, capsules, lozenges, and other formulations and dosages forms. Whether purchased for medical purposes or otherwise, federal illegality keeps all cannabis within California. Federal illegality prevents applying trademarks to cannabis itself, complicating building a cannabis brand and leaving most industry participants with the state trademark system. Federal illegality also complicates enforcement, but not issuance, of patents protecting cannabis innovations.

Canada’s current medical cannabis system under the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (the “ACMPR”) is nearly an inversion of California’s medical system. All purchases are by mail or bonded courier delivery. As of November 14, 2017,2 there were 73 issued licenses for production, sale or both. The ACMPR currently offers only two products for immediate consumption – dried flower and cannabis oil. Canadian cannabis oil is liquid food oil infused with cannabis extract, similar to edibles without the food matrix or topical without creams or thickeners, and is not to be confused with vaporizable concentrates. Both products are manufactured to strict production standards that are uniform across Canada. A handful of licensed producers manufacture above the requirements of the ACMPR and to a Good Manufacturing Practices (“GMP”) standard. Canadian GMP cannabis products have already been exported for distribution from pharmacies in Germany.

The Cannabis Act also allows provincial regulation of distribution and storefront sales (adult use or medical). Distribution will be operated by provincial monopolies in Ontario and New Brunswick. Alberta and Manitoba have decided on private storefront sales. The remaining provinces have not committed to either approach. The Canadian adult use market will begin with the same two products available in the current medical market, the Cannabis Act provides for product expansion in the future. The next categories expected to be regulated are solids containing cannabis, non-solids containing cannabis, solid concentrates, and non-solid concentrates. Cannabis brand owners can register their trademarks nationally in association with the cannabis products that are currently regulated for sale. Trademarking strategies may be directed to including new product categories as federal regulations under the Cannabis Act open new product categories.

Canada’s stringent regulations on quality and production, coupled with federal legality, mean that Canada is well-positioned to export talent, technology and the products themselves internationally. Learning from California, Colorado, Nevada, Washington State and other states to improve product diversity and introduce storefronts, while maintaining stringent and consistent quality controls, has positioned Canada as a world-leader in the cannabis industry.

1https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/medical-use-marijuana/licensed- producers/market-data.html
2https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/medical-use-marijuana/licensed- producers/authorized-licensed-producers-medical-purposes.html

Welcome to the World Trade Center Los Angeles

The World Trade Center Los Angeles is dedicated to attracting foreign direct investment to the Los Angeles region and facilitating opportunities between Los Angeles and international companies.

About the WTCLA

The WTCLA provides two major types of business assistance services:

• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Attraction Services - Assist international companies seeking to locate or expand their business operations in the Los Angeles region.
• Export Facilitation Services - Assist local companies seeking to export products or services to international markets.

Foreign Direct Investment Attraction Program

Los Angeles County is one of the largest and most important economies in the world. There are over 4,000 foreign-owned establishments that have successfully invested billions of dollars in the Los Angeles region. The economic success of Los Angeles is intricately tied to foreign trade and investments.

To ensure that foreign companies are successful, WTCLA will provide essential matchmaking and consulting services to connect the right business partners and service providers to international companies looking to grow their businesses in the Los Angeles region.

The redevelopment of WTCLA's programs over the last two years has helped attract more than $10M in foreign investment and generated more than 50 jobs.

The FDI Attraction Service Program is divided into three main pillars of services:

• Attraction – Attract key international companies to locate or expand operations in the Los Angeles region through target trade missions and marketing efforts.
• Education – Assist international companies in learning how to successfully locate and operate in Los Angeles. WTCLA will also support local companies in learning how to export goods and services to the global market.
• Connection – Facilitate key connections between business leaders, service providers, and governmental partners for international and local companies. WTCLA will focus on connecting international companies with local partners to help address legal, accounting, real estate, financial, immigration, consulting and other business needs.

Export Facilitation Program

Los Angeles is the nation’s top trading hub and the premier trade gateway to and from the United States. In 2015, the Los Angeles Customs District was ranked number 1 with over $393 billion in two-way trade. Companies in Los Angeles are primed to take advantage of the well-established trade infrastructure in Los Angeles.

With more than 80% of the world’s purchasing power and 95% of the world’s population located outside of the U.S., enormous opportunities exist for companies to increase their exports and revenue. Many of LA County’s businesses are selling goods and services outside the region but require help to expand sales internationally. WTCLA will work closely with the numerous export-related programs in the region to help local companies successfully export their products and services to the global market.

Through the Export Facilitation Program, WTCLA will:

1. Recruit companies in specific industries primed for export
2. Form partnerships with existing export service programs in the region to help local companies better access these resources
3. Leverage international partners to help LA companies secure business opportunities in foreign markets
4. Conduct trade missions to provide access to international markets

For more information on WTCLA, please contact Michael Smith, International Trade Manager, at michael.smith@laedc.org or visit their website at www.wtcla.org.

Westmark Tax

Westmark Tax is a tax firm focused on providing consulting and compliance services to individuals and companies that have cross-border tax needs.

About Westmark Tax
Westmark Tax is a tax firm focused on providing consulting and compliance services to individuals and companies that have cross-border tax needs.  In the complex world of international tax, the team at Westmark tax is able to simplify concepts for clients to provide practical solutions and guidance. 

The primary focus is to develop a tax strategy to optimize your global tax picture – ensuring that you are paying the least amount of tax globally and that all disclosure requirements are met.  The professional team at Westmark Tax has a real passion for cross-border tax issues with over 75 years of combined experience with offices located in the US and in Canada.
 
Westmark Tax provides the following types of services:

• Individual Cross-Border Tax Planning - assisting individuals that move across borders or US citizens that have cross-border tax needs.  This includes a move to/from any jurisdiction in Asia, Europe or Middle East among others.
• Corporate Cross-Border Tax Planning - assisting companies with cross-border tax issues to expand to new locations outside their existing operations.  This includes assistance for employees that are required to move to a new jurisdiction. For instance, a Canadian company which wants to expand into the United States or vice versa.  Alternatively, a company currently located in the United States wanting to expand to China.  Westmark Tax is able to assist in developing a cross-border tax strategy and to complete any tax returns required in the foreign jurisdiction.

All of the above situations requires an in-depth understanding of the tax rules in each respective jurisdiction.  The team at Westmark Tax provides the expertise required to successfully navigate the complexities of the cross-border tax world.
 
Cross-border Individual Tax Planning
 
When an individual makes a decision to move to a new country there are a lot of things to think about.  One issue that immediately comes to mind is to consider what to do on the tax front.  The complexities involved in moving from one tax jurisdiction to another will usually mean that professional assistance is required even for someone that is fairly astute on financial issues. 

For instance, when someone moves out of Canada they will need to consider exactly what date they become a non-resident of Canada.  This will drive various considerations such as immigration needs, health care coverage, switching driver’s licences, etc.  They will need to consider the impact of a ‘deemed disposition’ of their investment assets. 

The treatment of various retirement and pension plans is also important – what happens to your retirement plan at home and how do you set up a new retirement plan in the new country. 

The other important consideration is what to do with your home.  If you own your home, what are the tax implications in selling your home before or after you become a non-resident.  Or, is it better to rent out the home while living abroad. 

All of these issues require expertise from a Canadian perspective as well as the new country’s tax rules.  If the individual is moving to the United States, then they will also need to consider which state they are moving to….the tax rules in California are very different to the rules in Washington State. 
 
Westmark Tax is able to provide tax consulting to individuals prior to the move and long-term financial planning after their move.  They are able to assist in preparing the U.S. and Canadian tax returns for the year of the move including obtaining Clearance Certificates for sale of real estate.  If it hasn’t been done right, the individual may need to prepare amended tax returns which can usually be done through a voluntary disclosure process to minimize penalties and interest.  Westmark Tax acts as the single source of international tax.  
 
Cross-border Corporate Tax Planning

Companies that operate successfully in our global business environment are having to navigate the complex world of tax rules and other legal requirements.  This is especially the case when they are looking to expand operations to a new country.  Sometimes the move is prompted by the need to attract key talent or to capitalize on a new market opportunity.  Whatever the reason, the complexities for the company can be overwhelming.  The company will need to consider whether to establish a new entity in the foreign location or to have the existing entity operate as a ‘branch’ operation.  They will need to set up a bank account which can be very cumbersome and time consuming in some locations.  They will need to consider whether they send existing employees or do they hire locally.  Usually some existing employees will be sent and the company will need to consider immigration issues, impact to current compensation plans, impact to local retirement plans and whether the individuals need to be ‘tax equalized’.  Also, there will be payroll tax withholding and reporting obligations in the new country.  All of these issues require a integrated approach from lawyers, accountants, bankers, etc.  to coordinate the various impacts. 
 
Westmark Tax has the experience to provide assistance and coordinate the various areas required to resolve the  complexities involved.  They are able to coordinate immigration and legal support in various locations with trusted partner firms.  They are able to assist with bookkeeping, payroll and corporate tax filing requirements in various locations including the U.S. and Canada. 
 
For more information on Westmark Tax please contact Mo Ahmad at mo.ahmad@westmarktax.com or visit their website at www.westmarktax.com.

Teknion - Building Our Business One Relationship at a Time

We may be one of the world’s largest furniture manufacturers, but our business has been built one relationship at a time.

Ultimately, business is about people - how we interact, create and innovate - and our products are designed to inspire and to facilitate this interaction. We view an investment in space planning as an investment in both your people and your future, and we take this responsibility seriously, whether it's through the design of forward-thinking products that address workplace trends, or through the establishment of support and service programs backed by a team that we're proud to say is the best in the business. We take tremendous pride in being a family-owned company that has helped organizations around the world work smarter by working better.

History

When Saul Feldberg founded Teknion in the early 1980’s, he envisioned a company that would create office systems and furniture to meet the new and changing needs of people at work, one that would grow into a leading provider of office environments. Within a decade, Saul’s vision was a reality. Teknion’s expanding customer base was comprised of some of the world's most innovative and respected businesses. In 1993, David Feldberg stepped into the position of company President and CEO and has continued to guide the company into a new century. Under his leadership, Teknion has remained true to environmental stewardship and humanistic ideals and steadfast in its commitment to delivering intelligent, design-driven furniture attuned to the needs of business, people and the environment. 

Teknion’s corporate headquarters is based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and the  U.S. headquarters is located in Mount Laurel, New Jersey.  Since its inception in 1981, Teknion has grown to approximately 3,500 employees worldwide and has approximately 3 million square feet of facilities, including manufacturing plants, showrooms, corporate headquarters and sales offices.
 
The company operates ten manufacturing facilities in Ontario, five in Quebec, one in Alberta, one in North Carolina and three in Malaysia for servicing regional locations. Today, the company’s extensive product portfolio is sold in over 50 countries through a network of authorized dealers around the globe.

For more information, please visit our website at www.teknion.com.

Sooner Rather Than Later - Timing for For Taking Your R&D Tax Credits

Sooner Rather Than Later – Timing for Taking Your R&D Payroll Tax Credits

 
Recent legal advice issued by the IRS Associate Chief Counsel helps clarify some of the confusion around the new payroll tax credit for research and development (R&D) for qualified small businesses (QSBs).
 
In the guidance, the IRS concluded that an employer takes into account the R&D payroll tax credit for a quarter against liability for employer Social Security tax starting with the first payroll payment of the quarter that includes payments of wages subject to Social Security tax to its employees. The credit may be taken to the degree of employer Social Security tax on wages associated with the first payroll payment, and then to the extent of employer Social Security tax associated with succeeding payroll payments in the quarter until the credit is used.
 
How much should you enter on the Record of Federal Tax Liability?
 
With respect to a payment of wages subject to Social Security taxes, the employer should reduce tax liability by the lesser of: (A) the amount of the employer Social Security tax on the wages, or (B) the available payroll tax credit.
 
Carrying credit over
 
If any payroll tax credit is remaining at the end of the quarter that has not been used because it exceeds the amount of employer Social Security tax on wages paid during the quarter, the excess credit may be carried over to the succeeding quarter and treated as a payroll tax credit for that succeeding quarter under Code Sec. 3111(f)(3).
 
The IRS reasoned that an employer knows the maximum amount of payroll tax credit potentially available for a quarter at the beginning of the quarter because the income tax return reflecting the payroll tax credit election on Form 6765 must have been filed before the quarter begins in which the employer can claim credit. However, the amount of the payroll tax credit that is allowed for the quarter is limited to the employer Social Security tax on wages paid to employees during the quarter.
 
Thus, as the employer makes payments of wages from the beginning of the quarter for which the payroll tax credit is taken, the employer can take the payroll tax credit into account for purposes of the Schedule B and for purposes of deposit liability on the Form 941 or other employment tax return, provided the employer later files Form 8974 (Qualified Small Business Payroll Tax Credit for Increasing Research Activities) with the Form 941 or other employment tax return for the quarter. Form 8974 is used to determine the amount of the QSB payroll tax credit that an employer can claim on Form 941.
 
Timing
 
With respect to the timing of the payroll tax credit for purposes of calculating deposit liabilities, the credit should be taken against deposit liabilities and reflected on Schedule B as the employer incurs liability for employer Social Security tax on wages paid in the quarter to which it applies, beginning with the first payment of wages in the quarter. It would be counter to the purpose of the payroll tax credit to allow it as a credit only when the employer files its Form 941 for the quarter claiming the credit and not as the employer is paying wages during the quarter subject to employer Social Security tax. An employer cannot take the payroll tax credit against employee Social Security tax or income tax withholding.
 
Contact an Armanino professional if you have questions about the R&D payroll tax credit. For more information, please visit our website at www.armaninollp.com.

The Riverside County Office of Foreign Trade

A Riverside, California-based company that does business around the globe was featured on the Discovery Science Channel this month for its fire helmets, marking yet another success story for a client of the Riverside County Office of Foreign Trade.
 

Phenix Technology, Inc. has worked closely with the Riverside County Office of Foreign Trade for several years, evolving from novice exporter to savvy international entrepreneur. In fact, the company's overseas business has grown by 100 percent in the four years that the Office of Foreign Trade has been assisting Phenix.

Now the company is on the program “How It’s Made” for a close-up look at the helmets Phenix has been producing for 45 years. The program and a related article in The Press-Enterprise newspaper of Inland Southern California can be found here:

http://www.pe.com/2017/07/25/see-a-riverside-business-make-fire-helmets-on-discovery-channel/
https://www.sciencechannel.com/tv-shows/how-its-made/
 
The relationship between Phenix and the Office of Foreign Trade, which is part of the County’s Economic Development Agency, goes back several years and exemplifies the ways in which the Office of Foreign Trade assists businesses in Riverside County. The Office has two goals: to attract foreign direct investment and to assist businesses such as Phenix with exporting.

The Office of Foreign Trade trained Phenix staff in exports back in 2013, helped introduce and promote the business to fire departments across the country and internationally, and introduced the company to resources provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Small Business Administration and the Center for International Trade Development. Phenix also has been included in foreign trade missions locally with countries like Germany, Turkey and Vietnam. Some of that assistance was covered in a Press-Enterprise article four years ago:

http://www.pe.com/2014/07/26/riverside-county-trade-office-taps-international-markets-for-local-companies/
 
The company now does business with countries from Mexico to Thailand and continues to look for new opportunities to grow.
As recently as two months ago, Angel Sanchez Jr., director of global operations for Phenix, joined Office of Foreign Trade staff at a meeting with a trade delegation from Can Tho, Vietnam. He made yet another connection at that meeting with a Vietnamese business looking to import fire protection equipment to Can Tho, which is the latest city to sign a bilateral trade agreement with the Office of Foreign Trade.

Sanchez is hopeful that new connection will lead to even more international business for the thriving company.

The Office of Foreign Trade, which was created in 2009, connects businesses in the nation’s 10th-largest county to markets around the globe and provides export and import assistance. The Office has executed bilateral trade agreements with multiple cities, provinces, states and countries. For more information, please visit www.rivcoeda.org or contact Michelle DeArmond, Manager Office of Foreign Trade, (951) 955-1308, MDeArmond@rivco.org.

Brookfield Renewable - One of the Largest Renewable Platforms in the World

Brookfield Renewable owns and operates one of the largest renewable platforms in the world. With 10,600 megawatts under operation, the company produces clean energy from hydro and wind facilities in seven countries across North America, South America and Europe.

In North America, the Brookfield Renewable fleet consists of 170 hydroelectric facilities and 10 wind farms, with an installed capacity of 5,900 megawatts. That's enough energy to power two million homes.

In Southern California, Brookfield Renewable owns and operates five wind farms that generate enough renewable energy to power nearly 135,000 homes. The wind farms are located in the communities of Mojave and outside of Palm Springs. If you have been on the 14 or 10 freeways, there is a good chance you saw Brookfield Renewable's wind turbines.

In addition to owning and operating facilities, Brookfield Renewable is also a project developer. The company is currently developing two solar projects in southern Virginia. Once completed, each project would generate up to 60 megawatts of clean energy. The projects will also bring jobs and economic investment into the small rural communities where they are located.

For more information about the projects, visit the Meherrin Solar and Otter Creek Solar pages on www.brookfieldrenewable.com.
 

Get to Know Purolator

Each day almost $1.5 billion worth of goods cross the U.S./Canadian border, with roughly six percent of those shipments coming directly from California businesses.

As a leading provider of cross border logistics services, Purolator International is proud of our role in helping California businesses expand their reach to the Canadian market by offering fast, innovative, and guaranteed service.

As the U.S. subsidiary of Purolator Inc., an iconic Canadian brand and that country’s leading provider of integrated freight and parcel solutions, we offer unmatched expertise in the Canadian market, based largely on our strong distribution network. As many of our Southern California customers have learned, Purolator’s ground service can have shipments in Canada significantly faster than many of our competitors. And we offer comprehensive coverage throughout the vast Canadian landscape, to every province and territory.

But success in the Canadian market is not just about a reliable logistics solution. It’s the extra steps that make the difference. For one thing, Purolator offers consolidation services as a way to reduce freight costs. And we work with each client to ensure that every shipment arrives at the border in full compliance with all U.S. and Canadian customs requirements. This includes taking the initiative to look for savings, by ensuring the proper tariff classification is assigned, and determining if a shipment is eligible for free trade benefits, or even a reimbursement of previously-paid import duties. And critically important, as a U.S. and Canadian government-recognized “trusted trader,” our shipments benefit from expedited clearance, and minimal wait times upon arrival at the border.

As Southern California continues to look north for trade opportunities, Purolator International will deliver the logistics solutions necessary to meet the challenges of competing in the Canadian market.

For more information on Purolator International here in Southern California, please contact Dave Perfect at (760)405-3391 or david.perfect@purolator.com.  

Opportunities NB - New Brunswick's Lead Business Development Corporation

Opportunities NB (ONB) is New Brunswick’s lead business development corporation working with companies inside and outside that Canadian province to drive economic growth and job creation. 

ONB believes strongly in the future of New Brunswick and since its inception has successfully been the catalyst for competitive and innovative economic growth and job creation.

Many of the world's most successful companies are taking advantage of New Brunswick's nearshore value proposition. Its location in Atlantic Canada is naturally strategic, enabling companies to work with all of North America and Europe in the same business day. Combine that advantage with its low cost of doing business and everything is in place to make an expansion both easy and profitable.

ONB is delivering on its mandate by attracting new business and investment by both leveraging New Brunswick’s many advantages and changing the way companies think about their own operations.

The latest world-class company to work with ONB is Cardinal Path, an international digital analytics consulting company with corporate offices in Vancouver, Toronto, Chicago, and New York City. Winners of the Digital Analytics Association’s Most Influential Agency Award for 2015, Cardinal Path’s notable clients include well-known brands like Google, Mattel, NPR, Hyundai, IBM, Electronic Arts, LG, and eBay.

In the latest ONB Case study, find out how Cardinal Path worked with ONB to establish a new East Coast location in Saint John, New Brunswick.  Read the case study on the Opportunities NB Blog.

And for more information on ONB, please visit www.onbcanada.ca or call 855.746.4662

Helping Early-Stage Canadian Technology Companies Reach the U.S. Market

In 2011, York Bridge Capital’s founders recognized the opportunity to assist early stage Canadian technology companies reach the US market.  

Since that beginning, York Bridge Capital has expanded: geographically (to Korea); to different industry sectors (including a real estate affiliate, Elevation Bridge Realty, focused on cross-border commercial real estate investment); and to working directly with governments in facilitating foreign direct investment.  
 
Why Canada?

The Canadian technology sector has grown rapidly over the past 10-15 years.  The reasons include: pro-active Government programs providing tax and economic incentives; an education system encouraging entrepreneurialism; an immigration system attracting exceptional talent; and an ecosystem efficiently bridging the public and private sectors – all combining to spur Canadian entrepreneurial growth.
 
Growth Beyond Canada

 Most Canadian entrepreneurs want to, and must, grow beyond Canada to fully succeed.
 
York Bridge Capital recognized 3 missing elements – we call it “the 3Ms”: Money, Management and Market Access.   Money being access to capital, Management being access to talent with international experience, and Market Access being the ability to tap knowledgeably and efficiently into foreign markets. 
 
Accessing Foreign Markets

Since it’s inception in 2011, York Bridge has delivered the 3M’s – assisting Canadian companies in accessing international markets. 
 
Attracting Foreign Direct Investment

Over the past 2 years, York Bridge has also focused on attracting FDI to Canada; including acting as an in-market consultant, in California and Korea, for the Province of New Brunswick, to attract FDI to New Brunswick.
 
York Bridge Capital is proud to be promoting two-way trade and investment with Canada, and proud of our involvement in MAPLE SoCal. 

For more information on York Bridge Capital please visit the company website at www.yorkbridgecapital.ca or contact Ken Richards at kjr@yorkbridgecapital.ca or at (310) 435-3010.

Good News from Air Canada

We have a lot of good news to share of benefit to both frequent flyers and the occasional traveler.

LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL TERMINAL 6 MOVE

Effective May 17, 2017, Air Canada moved to Terminal 6 (T6) from Terminal 2 at Los Angeles International Airport. T6 will allow Air Canada customers the benefit of walking between terminals airside allowing for smoother connections. Customers will also benefit from an expanded security processing area, including TSA Pre-Check and Priority Security, as well as a new state of the art Air Canada Maple Leaf™ Lounge.

Stay tuned for more information on www.aircanada.com/agents.
*Eligible customers will have access to the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge.

New Livery

Our new livery signals another pivotal transition point in our 80-year history and celebrates a major branding project for a globally recognized Canadian company. Together with our new uniforms, improved international cabin standard and enhanced on-board products, the future of Air Canada represents the strength of our nation and the future-looking spirit of our airline through distinct references to Canadian culture, heritage and evolution.

Wi-Fi Update

Air Canada mainline offers customers in-flight Wi-Fi connectivity across the entire fleet of narrow-body mainline aircraft in North America. Air Canada Rouge now offers high-speed internet, Gogo’s new 2KU service on all 20 AC Rouge narrow body A319’s. AC Rouge is also updating its wireless In-Flight experience of gate to gate, on-demand entertainment information.

Air Canada New Routes 2017
 
• Toronto: Mumbai, Berlin, Reykjavik, Lima, San Antonio, Memphis, Savannah, Saint Vincent, Cartagena (CTG-Colombia)
• Montreal: Algiers, Marseille, Shanghai, Reykjavik, Tel Aviv, Dallas, Washington-Dulles, Belize City
• Vancouver: Taipei, Nagoya, London (Gatwick), Frankfurt, Dallas, Denver, Phoenix*, Boston, Orlando, Melbourne

Fly Air Canada’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Air Canada is pleased to offer a growing list of select flights and routes served by our fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. We will continue to announce additional routes for our 787 fleet, so check back often at: https://787.aircanada.com  to watch videos and learn more.