Access North American Markets from Waterloo
Welcome to Waterloo
At the heart of Canada’s top tech and manufacturing corridors is the Waterloo region. From our community, your company can tap into markets across North America.
It’s effective to broaden your company’s horizons by exploring international expansion. Although an enormous undertaking, expanding to a new country is a strategic way to gain access to foreign markets—for suppliers, customers, partners and more.
From strategic location to time zones to free trade, we’ve compiled the range of ways in which companies can access North America by locating in Waterloo’s stable business environment.
We’re right on on Canada’s 401 superhighway (pictured), which provides access to Toronto as well as border crossings at Buffalo and Detroit.
Strategic Location
Locating your company in Waterloo provides strategic access to North America. Free trade, proximity to major markets and import and export potential open the doors to global opportunities. You can access millions of customers, new partners and diversified revenue streams across North America.
Market access from Waterloo:
- From Waterloo, you can reach 194M+ people within a one-day drive
- Consumers and suppliers in New York, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh and Columbus are all within reach of Waterloo
- Waterloo is 85km/53mi from Toronto Pearson Airport, North America’s 2nd busiest international airport
Market access from Canada:
- Canada’s free trade agreements provide market access to 60% of the global economy
- The Canada-US border has 27 rail crossings, the top three (Windsor, Fort Erie and Sarnia) all located in Ontario and nearby Waterloo
- Canada was the top export market for 36 US states, and despite tariff-related challenges, US goods trade with Canada equaled an estimated $719.5B in 2025
International investment
Plus, European companies are increasingly investing in Canada. France, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands currently make up some of Canada’s top investor countries. In particular, France and Germany, with higher ultimate investment, show an established appetite for doing business in Canada. Companies like Beckhoff Automation and Desch (Germany), and OVHcloud and Septodont (France), all located in the Waterloo region, are clear examples. Canada welcomes, and works well with, its European investors.
Time zone advantages
Located in Eastern Time, Waterloo’s time zone overlaps with major cities across the US and connects with several cities across Europe. Our community provides one of the best collaboration windows between North American and European teams. An expansion to Waterloo can facilitate same-day decisions and approvals, streamline deal cycles and build stronger relationships between headquarters, offices, suppliers, consumers and more.
Stable operating environment
With economic freedom, efficient government systems and strong infrastructure, Waterloo offers companies a stable business environment, which simplifies and streamlines market access in North America. Our financial system is one of the soundest in the world, while our net debt to GDP ratio is one of the lowest in the G7. Plus, with predictable legal frameworks and clear corporate governance, Canada is a safe bet for financial, legal and political risk mitigation.
Here’s the proof:
- Canada ranks #1 in the IMD World Competitive Index
- Canada ranks #2 in soundness of financial systems among G20 countries
- According to the 2026 Index of Economic Freedom, Canada ranks 2nd among G20 countries for its free economy
- Seven of Canada’s banks rank among the world’s top-50 safest banks
Economic advantages
From Waterloo, you can access and participate in an economy characterized by strong growth, public-private collaboration, innovation capacity and a dynamic, skilled workforce. Locating your company in a large, advanced economy leads to several key results: higher-quality teams, cutting-edge product development, faster pathways to commercialization and reduced internal spending on R&D. Waterloo’s economic advantages make it easier for your company to enter, scale and compete in North American markets.
Canada’s economic growth in 2026 and 2027 is projected to be the 2nd fastest growing in the G7.
Here are a few of the reasons why:
- Canada ranks 3rd in the G7, ahead of Japan, Germany, the US and Italy for direct government funding and government tax support for business
- New government economic funding include support for AI, automotive and nuclear industries across the country
- Canada ranks 8th among G20 countries and 17th among 139 countries in the Global Innovation Index
- Over 60% of Canadians aged 25-64 attained post-secondary education, and every year, 1 in 4 graduates have studied STEM in Canada
In Canada, education is a priority, which translates to stronger R&D outputs. The University of Waterloo, in particular, is one of the strongest R&D schools in the country, thanks to its unique IP policy, where researchers own their IP from inception to commercialization.
Free trade beyond North America
International relationships thrive in Canada. Our country has comprehensive free trade agreements and multilateral trade deals that provide strategic access to the rest of the world. Any European companies expanding to Canada can also leverage the benefits of the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) from both sides of the Atlantic.
Trade access from Canada:
- Canada is the only G7 economy with comprehensive free trade access to the entire G7 and the EU
- We have 15 active free trade agreements that provide access to 51 partner countries, more than double the number of partner countries you can access in the US
- Canada recently signed several new trade deals, including agreements with Indonesia, Australia and China
Ready to explore expansion opportunities in Waterloo?
Waterloo EDC is a free, one-stop concierge service for companies that are exploring business expansion in Waterloo, Canada. Our client-first approach focuses on your company’s specific needs, and we have a team of experienced economic development experts who will guide you through every stage of the expansion process.
In addition to helping you find the best candidate to lead your local expansion, we can help you:
- Connect with legal, financial and recruitment experts
- Collect custom expansion data including cost comparisons
- Take advantage of government support and incentives
- Explore real estate options and locations
- Access top talent and local leaders
- Integrate into the local business community
We’ve helped international businesses invest almost $4B in our community since 2016. Our clients include Toyota, OVHcloud, Beckhoff Automation, BOSCH, SAP, Siemens and many more.
We’re excited to hear about your expansion goals.