Welcome to this week's Sunday Briefing. In this edition:
Local startups earn recognition at national awards
A new wave of entrepreneurs embraces experimentation
Return policies are costing online retailers more than they realize
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Calgary businesses are finding new markets as U.S. trade uncertainty drags on
A year into renewed U.S. trade tensions, Calgary companies are moving quickly to reduce their dependence on American customers. New data from Calgary Economic Development shows just 24 per cent of CED-supported trade deals in 2025 went to U.S. customers, down from 35 per cent in 2024—the smallest share on record. By comparison, roughly 68 per cent of Canada's exports still went to the U.S. last year, underscoring how aggressively local firms have been diversifying.
The shift is paying off. CED-supported companies secured $60 million in trade revenue through 45 international deals in 2025, creating 187 jobs through business expansions. Trade deal revenue jumped approximately 500 per cent year-over-year as firms moved toward larger contracts and higher-value markets. Companies expanded into 21 countries across six continents, spanning clean energy, advanced manufacturing, agri-food, digital technologies, life sciences, and aerospace.
Some Calgary companies found the experience transformative. Casa Bonita Inc. director Sergio Llerena says the company turned to new markets after realizing its U.S. partners had become unreliable. Through a CED-supported trade mission to FoodEx Japan, Casa Bonita secured partners in Japan, Korea, Thailand, and Australia. "Through the mission, we secured partners that share our same principles and value long-standing relationships, leaving the U.S., our former main export market, in a very distant place for our products and efforts," Llerena said.
CED's Trade Accelerator Program, supported by the Government of Alberta, helps export-ready companies with planning, market intelligence, and connections to global partners. ZeroSound Systems CEO Norm Bogner says the program helped his company establish a presence in the UAE and Australia, close a deal in Italy, and deliver projects in Chile. "That guidance and network have allowed us to expand with purpose, speed and a clear path to long-term international growth," he said.
CED plans to expand its trade programming in 2026, with supplemental support launching in Q2 to help Alberta companies enter new markets faster amid ongoing economic uncertainty.
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📰 Need To Know
Elle, MD, Hiive, and LiORA among latest CIX Startup Awards winners. Ninety-four investors from the CIX Selection Committee chose these companies from a pool of more than 370 applications. Betakit
How 'random experimentation' is defining a new wave of entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs are known as risk takers: people with a bold vision who go all in, investing their time, energy and money in a single idea. University of Calgary
Return policy a critical strategy for online retail, Calgary’s cashew concludes. Brands are losing revenue in online sales, often without realizing why, due to outdated return policies. Calgary.Tech
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