Khawar Nasim - Acting Consul General of Canada
I am always delighted to see business leaders and organizations connect with one another to grow the economic ties between Canada and the U.S. I am therefore very pleased to welcome MAPLE Business Council® to New York. Since 2015, MAPLE has been a key voice in Southern California for increased bilateral investment, trade and entrepreneurship with Canada. With the announcement of a New York chapter, MAPLE brings a respected and dynamic model for cross-border business networking to our region.
I was also pleased to learn that a long-term partner & colleague of the Canadian Consulate General in New York, John Costanzo, has accepted the position as Executive Director of the New York Chapter of MAPLE. John has worked closely with us for many years in his capacity as President of Purolator International, a NY based national subsidiary of Purolator in Canada. We are now looking forward to working closely with John and the MAPLE team to leverage the new USMCA trade agreement to increase bilateral trade & investment between the US and Canada here in the tri-state area.
Canada and the U.S. already enjoy a partnership that is unparalleled anywhere in the world. Our countries are the closest friends, partners and allies. Canada is the #1 export market for New York accounting for $22.5 billion in goods and services exports and responsible for more than 500,000 jobs. Over 735,000 jobs and $34 billion in exports are generated in the tri-state region of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, making Canadian trade and investment a major element in the tri-state economy.
Congratulations to founders, Robert Kelle and Stephen Armstrong, and the board of directors on the ever-expanding success of MAPLE Business Council. Your leadership and commitment to the promotion of Canada through networking events, knowledge sharing and community building is greatly appreciated. I look forward to your future contributions to growing the New York and tri-state economy together.
Sincerely,
Khawar Nasim, Acting Consul General
Consulate General of Canada in New York