Leaders from Canada and the United States met in Erie Wednesday morning trying to figure out how they can make business more beneficial for both sides of the border.

The Consulate General of Canada in New York has been in Pennsylvania for the past three days meeting with local business and political leaders.

He said the state of Pennsylvania is extremely important to Canada and vice versa. 

The Consulate General of Canada in New York, Andre Frenette, was at the Manufacturer & Business Association Wednesday morning as part of the current efforts to grow relationships between Canada and the United States.

He said the number one customer in Pennsylvania is Canada, adding that we sell more products to Canada than to China and the UK combined.

With that important fact, he said he wants to get a better understanding of the business environment here.

In the meeting, they discussed and shared perspectives on how they can better and deepen that relationship.

“When we look at the challenges coming out of the covid pandemic, when we look at the current geopolitical situation, Russia and Ukraine. When we look at all of these challenges, it’s important from a supply chain perspective to make sure that partners are working well together,” said Andre Frenette, Consulate General of Canada in New York. 

Erie County Executive Brenton Davis was also in attendance. He said there are already over 300 Canadian businesses operating here in Erie County.