Louis Pin - The Sarnia Observer, July 7, 2019Business leaders in one of Canada�s main points of international trade are pushing for a foreign trade zone designation that could give Sarnia a leg up on attracting businesses and trade by allowing certain tax exemptions on imported and exported goods.The trade zone would turn the border city in a de facto trade hub eligible for certain tax exemptions where importers and exporters can distribute and turn over raw and finished goods alike. The plan to establish a foreign trade zone, similar to those already in Windsor and the Greater Niagara region, received Lambton County council�s blessing last week.It will still take months to establish � if the economic development group FedDev Ontario approves the application.�Local Chamber of Commerce head Shirley de Silva says she is confident that will happen.�This foreign trade designation would be a starting point,� de Silva said. �Our application is already ready to go; we just wanted to make sure we had the support of the county.�It�s the latest in a years-long process that started in 2017, at which time the Sarnia chamber co-lead a joint task force to look into expanding trade in the border city. They saw �a lot of potential� in Lambton County, de Silva said, as one of the main trade routes between Canada and the United States.Stephen Thompson, chief executive officer with the Sarnia Lambton Economic Partnership, said a foreign trade designation will help draw other businesses to Lambton County.�It�s a process to get the designation,� Thompson said, adding the foreign trade zone is expected to �save time and expenses� for businesses interested in coming to the Sarnia area.The local chamber of commerce is also in talks with Lambton College about kick-starting a certification program based around the foreign trade zone. The college could be a good source of skilled labour tailored to the needs of an international hub, de Silva said, adding to Sarnia�s appeal as a prime business destination.Because the application process can take up to a year to complete the business task force hopes to submit with FedDev before the end of July, de Silva said.lpin@postmedia.com
