cusba-canada us business association

What cusba-canada us business association does

CUSBA (Canada-United States Business Association) is a Michigan-incorporated, nonprofit, non-partisan business association founded in 1992 and operationally rooted in the Detroit-Windsor cross-border corridor. The organization connects Canadian and American businesses through a recurring membership program that includes corporations, individual professionals, nonprofits, and government entities engaged in cross-border trade. Its service portfolio is event- and content-centric: flagship conferences and summits (e.g., the annual Cross-Border Economic Forecast Luncheon), networking mixers, expert panels, workshops, member-only webinars, policy advocacy, and a resource library comprising whitepapers, legal/regulatory guides, business templates, and a recurring newsletter. There is no proprietary technology platform; CUSBA distributes through its website (cusbaonline.com), email, LinkedIn, and a member portal, with virtual event formats extending reach beyond the Detroit-Windsor geography.

The business model is subscription-recurring, driven by annual membership dues across Corporate, Individual, and Nonprofit segments, supplemented by event registration fees (e.g., $60 member / $75 non-member for the in-person Economic Forecast, $10–$15 for virtual attendance) and event sponsorship. Strategic-tier "Core" partnerships with the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the Consulate General of Canada (Detroit), the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Windsor-Essex Chamber of Commerce, the Cross-Border Institute (University of Windsor), and Canadian Studies Center (Michigan State University) provide institutional depth and advocacy reach. The customer base spans banking (Comerica, CIBC), real estate (CBRE), energy (Enbridge), automotive (Magna, APMA), healthcare (Henry Ford Health), legal services (Dickinson Wright, Thompson Hine), accounting (Wipfli, Plante Moran), and customs brokerage (Farrow), with no publicly disclosed financials.

Governance rests with a volunteer Board of Directors chaired by Laurie Tannous (President since April 2023, succeeding Mark High), with Tal Czudner (Windsor Detroit Borderlink Limited) and Dana Hullinger (Plante Moran) added as Board members in May 2026. CUSBA has been actively engaged in real-time policy response during the 2025 tariff cycle (IEEPA tariffs, Section 232 steel/aluminum, Canadian retaliation, USMCA carve-outs) and publicly supported the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge in July 2026, reinforcing its role as a policy intermediary between North American business stakeholders and government actors.

Name

cusba-canada us business association

Legal name

Canada United States Business Association

Website

https://cusbaonline.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Short description

CUSBA is a nonprofit, non-partisan business association founded in 1992 that connects Canadian and American businesses through membership programs, conferences, networking events, policy advocacy, and educational resources focused on cross-border trade.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Southfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: CUSBA generates revenue through membership fees from corporations, individual professionals, and nonprofit organizations that benefit from cross-border business networking, advocacy, and resources.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CUSBA is a nonprofit, non-partisan business association that connects Canadian and American businesses through annual membership programs, conferences, networking events, expert panels, workshops, and policy advocacy. Its offerings focus on cross-border trade facilitation, USMCA and tariff policy education, member-to-member business matching, and economic forecasting (e.g., the Annual Cross-Border Economic Forecast). Members gain access to newsletters, whitepapers, webinars, business templates, and a resource library tailored to Canada-U.S. business needs.

Product overview

CUSBA (Canada-United States Business Association) is a nonprofit business association, not a technology product company. Its service portfolio consists of membership programs, events programming (conferences, networking mixers, expert panels, workshops), policy and advocacy services, and resource offerings (whitepapers, webinars, templates, legal guides, and newsletters). The organization operates as a unified service offering centered on fostering cross-border collaboration between Canada and the United States, with no platform-plus-modules architecture or separate product lines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CUSBA Membership Annual membership program offered to corporations, individual professionals, and nonprofit organizations, providing access to networking events, industry briefings, member-exclusive resources, educational content, and advocacy on cross-border Canada-U.S. business interests.
• Conferences & Summits

Named customers25 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWDBA manages the Gordie Howe International Bridge project, the most significant cross-border infrastructure connecting Detroit and Windsor. CUSBA actively advocates for and supports this transformational infrastructure project.
• Michigan Economic Development CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState economic development agency supporting Michigan businesses engaged in cross-border trade. CUSBA Board includes representatives from MEDC.
• Consulate General of Canada (Detroit)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanadian government representation in Detroit. CUSBA maintains close relationships with Consuls General and Senior Trade Commissioners.
• Cross-Border Institute at the University of WindsorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partnership focused on cross-border trade, mobility, and border studies. CUSBA President serves as Special Advisor on Customs, Immigration, and Border Security.
• Canadian Studies Center, Michigan State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic center focused on Canada-related research and education. CUSBA partners on events including the Global Business Club of Michigan.
• Detroit Regional Chamber of CommercecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor Detroit business organization representing regional business interests. Joint advocacy on cross-border business issues.
• Windsor-Essex Chamber of CommercecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChamber representing Windsor-Essex business community. CUSBA Board member Tal Czudner serves as Chair of the Board.
• Invest WindsorEssexcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEconomic development organization for Windsor-Essex region. CUSBA Board member Tal Czudner previously Chaired the Board.
• Federal Bridge Corporation LimitedmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency managing international bridge projects. Joint advocacy for border infrastructure improvements.
• Thompson Hine LLPcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLaw firm providing trade policy expertise. CUSBA Board member Dan Ujczo provides regular tariff and trade policy updates.
• Farrow (Russell A. Farrow Limited)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCanada's largest independent customs broker. CUSBA President Laurie Tannous serves as VP Government & Industry Relations. Event sponsor.
• Dickinson Wright PLLCcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFull-service business law firm with 19 offices. Past President Mark High served for 12 years. Event sponsor for Annual Economic Forecast.
• Plante MorancoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAccounting and consulting firm. Board member Dana Hullinger provides tax compliance and consulting services expertise.
• Wipfli LLPcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAccounting and consulting firm. Houses CUSBA mailing address. Board member Kevin Johns serves as Partner and Treasurer.
• North American Strategy for Competitiveness (NASCO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork focused on cross-border competitiveness. Shared membership and event participation.
• Michigan Small Business Development CentercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSBDC provides business assistance services. Board member Julie Oldham serves as Business Growth Consultant.
• Douglas Marketing GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMarketing agency that designed and programs the CUSBA website. Board member Kay Douglas represents the company.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Council of the Great Lakes Region: Binational regional body focused on Great Lakes economic and environmental cooperation. Adjacent to CUSBA's Detroit-Windsor focus with overlapping cross-border stakeholders but a broader geographic remit.
• Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER): US-Canada regional economic organization covering the Pacific Northwest. Operates a similar cross-border business advocacy model to CUSBA but anchors on a different geographic corridor (British Columbia-Washington).

Direct peers

• North American Strategy for Competitiveness (NASCO): Binational network focused on North American competitiveness and cross-border supply chains. CUSBA is an active partner; both organizations share membership overlap and co-host events on USMCA-era competitiveness.
• Windsor-Essex Chamber of Commerce: Binational chamber on the Canadian side of the Detroit-Windsor border. CUSBA board member Tal Czudner serves as Chair; both organizations co-host cross-border events and share member ecosystems.
• Detroit Regional Chamber: Major regional chamber representing Detroit-area businesses. Overlaps directly with CUSBA on cross-border advocacy, joint events, and shared board members (Sandy Baruah), serving many of the same corporate members on Canada-US issues.
• Canadian American Business Council: National binational business council focused on Canada-US trade and investment. Comparable in mission to CUSBA but with a broader national footprint and policy focus rather than a regional gateway anchor.

Emerging players

• Wilson Center Canada Institute: Nonpartisan policy forum focused on US-Canada relations. Comparable thought-leadership and policy-analysis mission to CUSBA but operates as a research institute rather than a membership association.

Broad incumbents

• Canadian Chamber of Commerce: National Canadian business advocacy organization with significant cross-border trade policy work. Larger, broader, and more resourced than CUSBA, but covers many of the same corporate members and policy themes.
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce: Largest US business federation, with active trade policy and Canada-US advocacy programs. Operates at a national scale that dwarfs CUSBA but addresses the same audience on cross-border issues.
• Business Council of Canada: CEO-led Canadian business advocacy group whose CEO members overlap with CUSBA's corporate roster. Comparable policy-advocacy model but at a national Canadian level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cusba---canada-united-states-business-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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