Canada Market

Québec--Dynamic and Diverse

A strategic location between Europe and the Americas , Québec offers an abundance and variety of natural resources, highly-skilled, multilingual workers, a vibrant cultural community and an exceptionally high quality of life. Add to these advantages Québec 's steadfast commitment to R&D, and you have one of the country's most innovative economies, with high technology industries and 'green' energy increasing prosperity in the 21 st century.

Cost Advantages

• GDP of CDN $275 billion in 2005, 70% generated by the service sector
• GDP per person 19 th in the OECD, comparable to Germany and Italy , surpassing Spain
• Tax rates on business profits among the lowest in North America
• Tax incentives and labour force assistance and training programs ($2.5 billion annually)

Export Markets

• Exports account for 35% of GDP , with 81% of international exports shipped to the US
• Access to NAFTA market of over 400 million consumers
• A market of 110 million consumers within a 1000 km radius
• Within a 600 mile radius of Boston , New York , Washington and Detroit
• #1 exporter of newsprint, 2 nd largest magnesium producer and 4 th largest aluminum producer in the world
• The St. Lawrence Seaway offers easy access to the industrial heart of North America

Specialised Workforce

• Highly-educated workforce-9 universities produce 60,000 graduates annually
• 84% of workers have post-secondary or more , 21% a university degree
• Highly bilingual and multilingual workforce-40% speak French and English; 13% speak a third language

Other Key Advantages

• 4 th in North America in terms of biotechnology companies
• 6 th in the world for aerospace output
• Commercial and professionals services employ 614,000, producing 29% of GDP
• 40% of deliveries and 42% of investment in Canada 's biopharmaceutical industry
• Clean energy producer supplying electricity to other parts of Canada and the US
• R&D spending-2.74% of GDP-is the highest in Canada and higher than the average of the OECD, the G7 and the European union
• Over 200 specialized university R&D centres-McGill is the Canadian university awarded the most patents by the US Patent and Trademark Office
• Private and public capital to fund investment projects
• Efficient road and rail networks and airport infrastructure
• From 2000 to 2004, Québec's standard of living rose by more than any G7 country, except the UK
• 112 international financial centres
• Montreal Stock Exchange a Canadian hub for financial risk management and a significant partner in specialized markets in North America
• Home of the Canadian Space Agency

Sector Strengths

• Aerospace
• Agriculture & Agri-food
• Automotive & Ground Transportation Equipment
• Biopharmaceuticals
• Construction
• Energy (hydro-electric & wind)
• Environment
• Forestry
• Financial Services
• Genomics
• Information & Communications Technologies
• Information Technologies & Software
• Light Metals
• Microelectronics
• Mining
• Multimedia
• Textiles
• Tourism