After five months of courtroom theatre, Round 1 in the bankruptcy case of the Phoenix Coyotes is nearing completion. The judge is considering whether to award the team to the NHL or to Canadian billionaire James Balsillie, who would move the team as soon as possible to Hamilton, Ontario.

Air Canada and the U.S. Department of Transportation reached a deal Friday that will allow the resumption of NHL sports charter flights for the 2009-10 season. The airline will be required to submit monthly reports to ensure compliance with "cabotage" laws that prohibit a foreign airline from carrying passengers or cargo between points in the U.S.

Jim Mockford, general manager of Vancouver’s Listel Hotel, looks forward to hosting the world on his doorstep in February. The 2010 Winter Olympics offer respite from an economic maelstrom that has forced him to cut prices to entice visitors – but the situation isn't as good as it could be.

International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge is confident the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver will break even despite a budget shortfall. In an unprecedented gesture, the IOC said last month it would offer financial assistance to Vancouver's organizing committee, VANOC, if it ends up with a budget gap following the Feb. 12-28 games.

The Canadian manufacturing sector is likely to be a focus of attention this week and while the data has been abysmal, early signs of a recovery are expected to take centre stage.

You can also take a look at the related StatCan report in English or en français.

On paper, Tom Pokorsky would seem to be a clear beneficiary of the government's $787 billion economic-stimulus package. But the bill's Buy American provisions – meant to give U.S. companies a leg up on foreign competition – are causing U.S. companies a lot of grief with both suppliers and clients in Canada.

For the first time in three quarters, Canadian household net worth grew, reflecting stock market gains; use of credit also increased, but this was more than offset by asset growth.

Canada’s dollar could reach parity with its U.S. counterpart in a year as the nation’s economy improves and its central bank refrains from weakening the currency, Barclays Capital Inc. said.

Simon Fraser University business professor Rosalie Tung has argued that, instead of debating and tracking brain gain or drain, companies and policy-makers in Canada and the U.S. need to understand how a new set of executives is bouncing back and forth, again and again, between “dual beachheads” here and in Asia.

A team of researchers from the University of Alberta have developed a new cancer-detecting technology. The "FISH on a chip" test is a minuaturized version of a conventional test known as FISH (fluorescent in situ hybridization). Conventional FISH tests cost around $2,000 each. 10 FISH-on-a-chip tests can be done for as little as $100, and also deliver quicker results. The team is continuing to refine the technology while looking for commercial sponsors to help take their invention into the medical marketplace.

In recent months, the United States has taken a number of trade actions that have had a negative impact on U.S. companies, their workers, and the economy. The U.S. Chamber examines three of these, including the “Buy American” provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and estimates U.S. job losses could total as much as 585,800 jobs.

This special edition of CanadExport takes a look at how Canadian entrepreneurs and companies are successfully connecting with sources of venture capital in Silicon Valley.

“Go for Gold”, the annual Invest in Canada flagship report, highlights some key points about Canada's strong economic fundamentals, provides commentary from foreign investors operating in Canada, and also includes a feature on the 2010 Winter Olympic games. You can also read a shorter summary report [PDF].

"U.S. economic growth, our national prosperity, is going to require the use of petroleum for many decades to come. Putting one dependable supplier, Canada, off limits will raise the cost of energy, slow domestic economic growth, and at the same time make the U.S. more reliant on less secure suppliers like Venezuela and Middle Eastern countries."
—Carter Wood, National Association of Manufacturers

Canada was Ohio’s top foreign trading partner in 2008, with bilateral trade exceeding $35.8 billion. Canada purchases nearly 44% of the state's exports – over five and a half times that of Ohio's next largest foreign market (Mexico).