Consul General's Message
Jamshed Merchant
Consul General
Thank you for visiting our site! I am honored to be Canada’s Consul General in Minneapolis and thrilled to be living in the beautiful Upper Midwest. Since our arrival in October 2012, my wife Pheroza and I have been struck by the friendliness and warm welcome we have received.
Our office covers five states: Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota, and is part of a network that represents Canada across the U.S. and around the world. Having previously worked in the Canadian prairie provinces, this posting in the Upper Midwest is like coming home. I look forward to renewing relationships, visiting great cities and vibrant communities, and, most importantly having the opportunity to meet with people throughout the territory.
I’m proud to lead a team dedicated to growing two-way business relationships, engaging with decision-makers and citizens on issues of interest to both our countries, and helping Canadians living and travelling in the region.
Canada and the U.S. enjoy a partnership that is unparalleled anywhere in the world. Our countries are the closest of friends, partners, and allies. This is especially true in the Upper Midwest where 857 miles (1379 kilometers) of border join North Dakota and Minnesota with the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario. We frequently see each other and spend time together, whether doing business, visiting family, studying, fishing, playing sports, or exploring each other’s vacation destinations.
Strong cross-border commercial and investment links are a key engine in economic growth in both countries. Almost $2 billion of goods and services cross our borders every day – we share an integrated North American economy. In 2011, two-way goods trade between Canada and our five-state region was $35 billion and supported 343,800 U.S. jobs. Canada is by far the number one export customer for each of the five states. An important part of the trading relationship is in energy – Canada is the largest foreign supplier of oil, natural gas, electricity, and uranium to the U.S.
We're pleased to have many friends and partners in the Upper Midwest working with our office to deepen Canada-U.S. linkages across the region. And, I personally look forward to making new acquaintances, building on strong cultural ties and relationships, and exploring exciting new opportunities. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have questions or want more information about all things Canada-U.S.
Cheers!
Jamshed Merchant
Consul General
Biography
Jamshed Merchant began serving as Canada’s Consul General in Minneapolis in October 2012. He is Canada’s senior representative in the Upper Midwest states of Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Jamshed leads a team of professionals building two-way trade and investment ties, engaging decision-makers and citizens on a range of issues important to both countries and helping Canadians living and travelling in the region.
Jamshed started his career as a faculty lecturer in Geography at McGill University in Montreal in 1979. In 1983, he joined the Alberta government’s Ministry of the Environment as a soil scientist. From 1985 to 2001, Jamshed worked with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in several positions, notably as a soil conservationist, executive assistant to the Deputy Minister and Acting Director General for Strategic Business Planning. From 2001 to 2003, he was Director General of the Government On-Line Division with the Department of Canadian Heritage.
Between 2003 and 2007, Jamshed worked with the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, initially as Executive Director in the Environment, Transport and Infrastructure Sector and then as Assistant Secretary of the Blue Ribbon Panel on Grants and Contributions, Aboriginal Affairs and Climate Change programs. He returned to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in 2007 as Executive Director of the National Land and Water Information Service and was appointed Assistant Deputy Minister of the Agri-Environment Services Branch in 2008.
Jamshed graduated from the University of East Anglia (U.K.) in 1977 with a degree in Environmental Science, and received his Master’s in Pedology and Soil Survey at the University of Reading in 1978. He is married to Pheroza, and they have three children, Sohrab, Jehangir and Shireen.
Jamshed and Pheroza look forward to getting involved in the Twin Cities community.
