Editor’s picks & most clicked

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EDC article
→ Complying with CUSMA rules of origin
In today’s challenging trade environment, understanding the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) is crucial. This article explains how CUSMA compliance can help you avoid tariffs, realize substantial savings, streamline documentation and ensure access to the U.S. market. Key topics include:
• Determining CUSMA rules of origin for your products
• Differences between “Made in Canada” and “Product of Canada”
• Calculating regional value content
• Why you need a certification of origin for CUSMA compliance

The article also links to five online tools and resources, including the Canada Tariff Finder, which lets you check import or export tariffs for specific goods and markets—and lists five practical tips to ensure you’re CUSMA compliant.

[Find out how to be CUSMA compliant]

From the Trade Commissioner Service (TCS)
→ Understanding CUSMA compliance
This companion article covers:
• How to claim preferential treatment under CUSMA
• The rules of origin under CUSMA
• How to identify product-specific rules of origin
• Goods subject to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs when imported into the U.S.
• U.S. imports from Canada qualifying for preferential treatment under CUSMA
• Goods not covered by CUSMA
• Options for producers when goods don’t meet CUSMA rules of origin

The article includes a step-by-step guide to CUSMA compliance, links to nine online resources for more information on CUSMA, and how to get help through the TCS’s support line at 1-833-760-1167.

[Get the details on being CUSMA compliant now]

Most clicked on at edc.ca: Article
→ Tariffs 101: What are tariffs and how do they impact international trade?
Tariffs are taxes that governments put on goods coming in from another country. But how do they work, and who pays them? That’s the focus of this article. It identifies three reasons governments may impose tariffs on imported goods and a few options for how they’re paid. It examines:
• How tariffs impact your business
• How to know if you must pay tariffs
• How rules of origin impact tariffs
• How to avoid paying tariffs (hint: Canada’s 15 free trade agreements, with 51 countries, play a significant role)
• How trade diversification can protect your business

The article concludes by highlighting how the TCS supports Canadian exporters and how EDC’s credit insurance products can help manage risks.

[Find out what tariffs are and how they work]

EDC webinar: May 21, 2025
→ Free Webinar: Unlock new markets with mergers & acquisitions
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) can drive significant growth for your company. However, M&As can be complex so understanding their financial and legal aspects is crucial. That’s what this webinar is all about. Moderated by EDC and featuring four experts, it covers:
• How to refine your M&A strategy
• Best practices for conducting due diligence and managing risks
• Legal and key contract considerations for M&A
• Strategies for post-merger integration and value creation strategies
• Insights into the M&A process for smaller companies

Join us live on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. ET, to explore if an M&A strategy should be part of your growth plans.

[Register for the webinar now]
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Accessing more money for your business

EDC solution
→ Trade credit insurance—access more working capital
Trade credit insurance protects your cash flow if an international customer doesn’t pay your invoice. If that happens, and you have credit insurance, EDC pays 90% of the outstanding invoice—guaranteed. But there are other benefits, too:
1. A new source of working capital: Because EDC guarantees payment for your receivables, many financial institutions will extend you credit using your insured receivables as collateral. This offers a new source of working capital and can take the pressure off your cash flow.
2. Competitive credit terms: With guaranteed payment for receivables, you can offer competitive credit terms to international buyers.

You can insure a single invoice with EDC’s Select Credit Insurance (get pricing with our quick quote online calculator) or guarantee payment for multiple international invoices with EDC’s Portfolio Credit Insurance.
[Find out which type of credit insurance will work best for you]
From the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC)
→ Small business loan: Get up to $100,000 to grow your business
BDC is the bank for Canadian entrepreneurs, supporting small and medium-sized businesses in all industries and at every growth stage with money and advice. Now, you can apply online for a BDC loan of up to $100,000. Use the money to cover expenses, pay employees, buy inventory, purchase equipment, upgrade software or hardware, launch a marketing campaign, and more! It’s free to apply, and if you’re approved, you can make interest-only payments for the first 6 months. Plus, there are no penalties for early or lump-sum payments.

[Apply for up to $100,000 online now]
From BDC
→ Purchase order financing: Fulfil large orders with less stress
Purchase order financing from BDC lets you pay suppliers directly without drawing on your company’s day-to-day cash. Here are four benefits of BDC’s purchase order financing:
1. BDC doesn’t do factoring. Funds are disbursed to you, so you can pay your suppliers and reimburse BDC directly.
2. Finance up to 90% of the order value, taking up to 18 months to repay your loan.
3. Align your loan repayment to the PO payment terms. Take advantage of interest-only payments and one balloon payment at the end of the term.
4. Get the funds in Canadian or U.S. dollars, so you don’t have to worry about currency fluctuations.

BDC makes the process easy: apply online, talk to a representative about the details and get a tailored solution based on your financial needs and capabilities.

[Find out how to apply for BDC’s purchase order financing]
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Managing risk

EDC article
→ North American outlook: Tariff headwinds fracture decades of economic co-operation
This article couldn’t be timelier as trade friction fractures decades of economic co-operation across North America. It analyzes what’s ahead for the North American economy, including:
• Vulnerabilities facing consumers carrying high levels of household debt—with limited savings;
• The economic pressures facing central bankers, what that means for monetary policies and what trends in consumption, hiring and consumer confidence suggest for the coming months;
• How mortgage rates, an immigration crackdown in the U.S. and lumber prices will likely affect the U.S. housing market;
• The impact of tariffs on Canada’s economy—given that only 38% of our exports are CUSMA (Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement) compliant; and
• How two policy changes in Mexico will handicap prospects for the country’s economic growth.

The article also notes how EDC can assist Canadian companies in navigating the current trade uncertainties, particularly through the EDC Trade Impact Program.

[Get the outlook now]
EDC article
→ Trade diversification: 3 strategic markets to consider
Most successful companies understand that diversification—among product lines, customers, suppliers and distribution channels—is the secret to long-term success. Why? Because they avoid depending on any one source. The same is true when it comes to exporting.
This article explores why diversification is crucial for growth and identifies three regions Canadian companies should prioritize: the Indo-Pacific, Europe and the United Kingdom (U.K.), and Latin America and the Caribbean. Profiles for each region include:
• Market size and key characteristics
• Overview of the trade relationship with Canada
• Sectors of opportunity for Canadian companies
• Regional market challenges

It also highlights the trade ecosystem of government organizations that support Canadian exporters with on-the-ground assistance, market intelligence and financial solutions that can accelerate growth while managing risk.

[Discover three markets to drive your diversification strategy]
From BDC
→ Strengthen your business through trade optimization
BDC offers customized consulting services to help Canadian companies build resilience in the face of global tariffs and trade uncertainty—regardless of whether you’re currently exporting or not. BDC’s services include:
• Coaching and support at a preferential price (fees can be financed through BDC as part of your business financing plan)
• A deep dive into specific business functions to plan for resilience in finances, operational efficiency and supply chain or through market diversification
• Comprehensive risk assessment to identify vulnerabilities and strengths
• A clear roadmap with actionable recommendations to proactively tackle trade uncertainty and ensure long-term stability and growth

Succeeding in business today may be more challenging than ever before. But you’re not alone. Let BDC help you optimize your trade approach, support your growth and build business resilience.

[Contact BDC to explore how trade optimization can help strengthen your business]
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Market intelligence

EDC report
→ NAFTA to CUSMA: What you need to know about Canada-U.S. free trade agreements
With the trade relationships between Canada, the United States, and Mexico in flux, CUSMA is taking centre stage. This article outlines:
• The annual C$1.3 trillion Canada-U.S. trading relationship
• Free trade benefits for Canada, the U.S. and Mexico
• Key changes from NAFTA to CUSMA
• The upcoming CUSMA review

The article also highlights why trade diversification is a good strategy to mitigate risk and can jumpstart business growth.

[Get an overview on Canada-U.S. free trade agreements]
From the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (APAC)
→ Strategic reflections: The Indo-Pacific imperative for Canada’s new government
The APAC believes Canada stands at a pivotal juncture for its Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS). This essay analyzes the strategy elements that have worked — and what needs recalibration in today’s volatile global environment. It spotlights four topics key to Canada’s future success in the region:
1. From rapprochement to realignment: Canada’s moonshot with Europe and Asia
2. Canada and Japan: An undeveloped and distracted partnership
3. Canada-India ties: Nowhere to go but up?
4. The emerging Philippines-Canada Defence Partnership

These inaugural reflections set the stage for identifying priorities, amplifying successes and charting a way forward so Canada’s IPS is successful in diversifying Canada’s trade relationships for future prosperity and security.

[Learn more about opportunities to evolve Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy]
EDC article
→ PDAC insights: Canada’s mining industry shines amid global uncertainty
In early March, more than 27,000 corporate leaders, government decision-makers, investors and industry experts from around the world gathered in Toronto for the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) annual convention. This article highlights emerging industry trends and key takeaways from this year’s meeting, including:
• Gold’s role as a safe-haven asset amid economic uncertainty
• Copper’s strategic importance in the low-carbon economy
• Critical minerals for the energy transition

There’s a competing need to balance demand and development of traditional energy sources with the global transition to a lower-carbon future. But demand for Canada’s minerals used in clean technologies is surging. PDAC attendees believe Canada has viable opportunities in this space, while acknowledging the technical challenges in accessing deeper, more remote and unexplored deposits and the infrastructure needed for these projects.
[Learn more about the key takeaways from the PDAC convention]