Alabama delegation to build bonds at SEUS-Canada Business Forum

The Alabama Department of Commerce is leading a delegation to the 2025 Southeast U.S.-Canadian Provinces (SEUS-CP) Business Forum, which began Sunday in St. John, the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Deputy Secretary of Commerce Ed Castile is heading the three-day mission, which focuses on expanding trade and investment opportunities across three key sectors: food and beverage, advanced manufacturing and energy.

The joint SEUS-CP Business Forum serves as a platform to strengthen commercial and cultural ties between six Southeastern states and six Canadian provinces.

This year’s agenda includes expert-led panel discussions, networking events and a robust business-to-business matchmaking program that connects companies with potential partners and customers, including procurement representatives from leading Canadian firms, such as NB Power, J.D. Irving, Organigram Global and others.

Castile emphasized the importance of Alabama’s presence at the event, especially for the state’s small businesses.

“SEUS-CP offers our companies direct access to high-value markets and the opportunity to forge strong international partnerships,” Castile said. “Canada continues to be one of Alabama’s most important trading partners, and this forum allows us to showcase the innovation, talent and capabilities that make Alabama businesses competitive on a global scale.”

Two Alabama-based small businesses will take part in the forum’s matchmaking program, facilitated by Market Access International:

• LunarLab Benefit LLC – A Birmingham-based design and strategy studio specializing in digital product development, user experience and product planning.
• SEPCO (Sealing Equipment Products Co. Inc.) – A leader in fluid sealing solutions based in Alabaster, providing advanced mechanical seals, thermoplastic components and related technologies for a broad range of industrial applications.

These companies will meet one-on-one with prospective partners and buyers as part of the forum’s signature business development track.

Castile, who also serves as director of AIDT, said the Alabama Department of Commerce remains committed to supporting international growth opportunities for state businesses and positioning Alabama as a destination for global investment.

The Southeast United States-Canadian Provinces alliance is a strategic trade and investment-focused partnership that was established in 2007 to enhance economic ties between six Southeast states (Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee) and six Canadian provinces (Ontario, New Brunswick, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island).

Close ties

Canada is a top trading partner and investor in Alabama.

Canada represented Alabama’s largest export market in 2024, with shipments valued at $4.3 billion, an increase of 7% from the prior year. Alabama is also a prime destination for goods from Canada, with imports valued at $3.8 billion last year.

Alabama is home to more than 260 Canadian companies employing 9,500 people, according to Canada’s Consulate General in Atlanta. This impact continues to grow: Canadian companies have contributed more than $1.7 billion in new capital investment to their Alabama ventures since 2015, creating around 3,000 jobs during that time frame.

This story originally appeared on the Alabama Department of Commerce’s Made in Alabama website.