Vermont says Quebec outreach created a pipeline of companies; tariffs and uncertainty are slowing some moves

Tim Tierney, director of international trade and business recruitment at the Agency of Commerce and Community Development, told the Commerce & Economic Development Committee on April 30 that a contracted representative in Quebec has “created a pipeline for us” that has brought eight or nine companies to Vermont but that proposed and threatened tariffs have made some firms more tentative about locating here.

The pipeline is managed by a Quebec-based contractor known to the department as CDAP, Tierney said. The contractor identifies Quebec companies poised to enter the U.S. market, makes first contact in French, and brings promising firms to Vermont for follow-up meetings with state economic development staff and regional development corporations. “They've created a pipeline for us,” Tierney said. “It takes a village, as they say, to get someone here.”

Why it matters: state officials said foreign direct investment can create and retain jobs and help keep manufacturing supply chains local. Committee members pressed Tierney on the effect of national trade rhetoric and the near-term consequences for tourism and retail sales when Canadian visitors cross the border less frequently.

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