What is the Canada-United States Trade Center?
The University at Buffalo, in keeping with its role as a catalyst for the educational and economic resurgence of the Western New York Community, established the Canada-United States Trade Center (CUSTAC) in 1988. Developments in Canadian-US relations, which are reflected in part by the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), have created expanded opportunities for research, scholarship, and public service.
As a major U.S. research and educational institution located near the economic and demographic heartland of Canada, the University at Buffalo is uniquely positioned to assume a leadership role in the establishment and management of a center devoted to the study of Canada-U.S. economic interactions. For information on current activities, please go to our Current Research and Other Activities page.
One of the principal functions of the Center is to assist in the development of the trade and investment corridor between Western New York and Southern Ontario. In support of this goal, the University has fostered other centers of excellence, including the Center for Industrial Effectiveness, the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, and the Regional Institute. Together with these centers, CUSTAC undertakes basic and applied research on trade and investment issues related to both countries and the local border economies.
The personnel associated with the Canada-United States Trade Center are currently made up of faculty, staff, and graduate students from the University at Buffalo, Canisius College in Buffalo, and the University of Washington in Seattle.
Research
The primary function of CUSTAC is to advance basic and applied research on economic interactions and related issues between Canada and the United States and their respective international business partners. Special attention is given to the inter-country movements of commodities, services, technology, people, information, and capital. In addition to its own research agenda, CUSTAC encourages and occasionally supports other faculty and graduate students at the University at Buffalo to undertake specific research projects related to cross-border transactions between the two countries.
Research Topics
- Economic impacts of the Free Trade Agreement
- Export potential of small manufacturing firms
- Economic interactions and potentials within the Buffalo-Toronto commerce corridor
- Studies of trade and foreign direct investment patterns and policies
- Industry-specific studies and analysis of corporate decision-making strategy
- Cross-border trade in services
- Border security
- International decentralization of U.S. commercial aircraft production
- Impact of U.S. government anti-terrorism policies on Canada-U.S. cross-border commerce
- Role of university-based industrial extension services in the business performance of small manufacturing firms
- Innovation, Regulation, and Economic Development
- The Biotechnology Industry in the US, UK, India, and Canada
- The Information Economy and Labor Markets
- Foreign Direct Investment and Trade in Manufacturing and Services
Publications
During the first year of operation in 1988, CUSTAC established its Occasional Paper Series. Since then, 36 Occasional Papers have been published. Some of the varied topics discussed are trade and employment implications of decentralized US commercial aircraft production, impact of border security on local economy, Canadian-American Free Trade Agreement, North American Free Trade Agreement, cross-border issues, importing/exporting, foreign direct investment, trade issues, and geographic information services.
Policy Analysis
CUSTAC sponsors and encourages policy-oriented studies of issues related to the economic interrelationships between Canada and the U.S. Such investigations are designed to formulate policy alternatives and to foster active discussion and debate on a variety of trade and investment issues that arise from the cross-border interactions of the two countries. CUSTAC sponsors and hosts conferences on policy- related topics affecting the international business community.
Business Services
In addition to providing various support services for research projects undertaken at UB and elsewhere within the Western New York Community, CUSTAC provides a variety of services for business executives and for private sector and government organizations and agencies in New York State and elsewhere. Such services include providing information from the Center's databases, distributing the findings of research projects carried out by the Center, assessing international marketing and investment strategies of businesses, providing referrals to private and public sector organizations, and promoting export-development activities within the local region.
Other web sites for information include International Trade Administration, Statistics Canada, Canadian Embassies and Consulates,
US Department of Commerce, USA Trade Online, and GeoGratis. Please refer to the Canada Border Services Agency for travel information including the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.
Education
As a component of Canadian Studies activities at the University at Buffalo CUSTAC encourages, organizes, and sponsors occasional seminars and workshops on issues related to Canada-U.S. trade and investment activities. In addition, the Center promotes the development of graduate and under-graduate courses at the University that foster a better understanding of Canadian-U.S. relations. Moreover, it encourages, local, state, and federal policymaking groups to continue to give high priority to legislation that creates an equitable and stable environment for economic transactions between Canada and the U.S.
Refer to http://www.geog.buffalo.edu/programs/ for information on international business and world trade.
Resources
- Library-resource room open to the public
- Automated databases of trade and investment information for Canada and the United States
- International Monetary Fund publications
- Canadian provincial marketing data
- Canadian socioeconomic data and other information
- Academic and popular business journals, magazines, and newspapers
Attention UB International Trade Alumni
Stay connected with alumni and professors. Contact Donna with your information. Thank you.
Updated February 13, 2008