MADAWASKA, Maine — Officials from northern Maine, Boston and Canada came together on Friday afternoon to talk about cross-border trade and what it means to the region in an inaugural “Beyond Borders” panel in Madawaska.
The talk featured in-depth discussions on four topics: the impacts of tariffs and the pandemic on trade, the importance of the French language to cultural identity and trade, cross-industries on both sides of the border, and ways in which the Madawaska’s status as one of just a few Foreign-Trade Zones (FTZ) in the state can promote international trade.
“We saw this as an opportunity to have a focused and meaningful conversation with experts actively supporting international trade and commerce between our two countries,” Kiersten Purington, president and CEO of the Aroostook Partnership said. “Our region is unique because our U.S. and Canadian border communities have strong business, community and linguistic ties.”
Serge Breau, executive director of trade policy for the province of New Brunswick lauded the long-standing international business relationship around Twin Rivers Paper Co.
“You’ve got a pulp mill on one side to a paper mill on the other side, getting the fiber from both sides of the border. I mean, it’s such a great example of integration,” he said.
Michael Pizziferri, a senior officer with the Consulate General of Canada in Boston emphasized the importance of conversations like this to trade. He said Canada is the largest trading partner for most New England states.
“For Maine, you actually sell more to Canada than to your next 16 foreign markets combined,” he said.
Panelists spoke of the importance of the French language to international trade, particularly in areas like Madawaska where much of the population is bilingual. While it isn’t essential for trade, they said, it helps foster important international relationships.
Brandon McDonald, project manager at the Northern Maine Development Commission, said he has noticed a shift in the region with each generation speaking French a little less. He supports keeping French programs in schools as an investment in the culture of the region.
“Think about language in the same way as you would about infrastructure,” he said. “When you let roads go away, it costs a lot more to bring them back. It takes a very long time to build that back.”
Sarah Brooks, vice-president of the Can-Am Sled Dog Races, said the winter event brings Canadians and Americans together. The race is the largest annual event in Fort Kent, and one of the largest in northern Maine.
“This past year, Main Street in Fort Kent was so solidly packed that you could hardly move from one end to the other,” Brooks said. “There are so many facets of this race that are integrated with both countries, and the cultures of both countries.”
The event came about through conversations for another event planned in Madawaska, the “Top O’ Maine Trade Show,” which is the largest trade show north of Bangor. Kristen Henry, Madawaska’s economic development director, was working on a business assistance booth for the show. In preparation, she recalled reaching out to the Aroostook Partnership, the Northern Maine Development Commission, and the Maine International Trade Center.
”As we started talking, it became pretty clear that the conversation we were having was much bigger than a trade show booth,” Henry said. “We were getting into real discussions about cross-border commerce, workforce alignment, and what it actually takes to move international development forward in our region.”
At this point, she said it made more sense to have a separate event in which these organizations and businesses could discuss these issues. From there, Henry said it made sense to have the Aroostook Partnership take the lead in organizing the event, as it plays a strong role in bringing together organizations and businesses in the region.
Henry said that while it is too early to say if this will become a regular series, they hope to continue these conversations on some level moving forward.
”For me, the objective is to position Madawaska and the Greater Saint John Valley as a hub for cross-border economic activity, and to make sure we’re not just part of the conversation, we’re helping to lead it,” she said.
