An Overview of Frontier Duty Free Association

The Frontier Duty Free Association (FDFA) is industry representative to Canada’s land border duty free shops. Our mandate is to promote the development and success of the land border duty free sector by acting as a voice, advocate and business resource for members.

Our Active Member category includes 28 land border duty free shops. Our Associate membership category includes product and service suppliers, CDN airport duty free stores, and U.S. land border duty free stores.

FDFA activities:

• FDFA Annual Convention and Trade Show
• Member communications and information services
• Government relations to address legal, regulatory and policy challenges and opportunities.
• Liaison between FDFA members and the federal Government’s Duty Free Shop Program staff.
• Media monitoring and public relations.
• Partnering with supplier, retail and tourism representatives to address challenges and opportunities.
• Management of two websites; a members’ only portal and a consumer site.

Frontier Duty Free Association - A Brief History

Since the appearance of duty free shops at international airports and certain marine terminals in the mid 1960's and the inauguration of the land border duty free shop program in 1982, the Federal government and private interests have co-operated in an unbroken chain of mutually beneficial and successful business ventures. Today, duty free shops are an important and integral part of the Canadian tourist industry, acting as ambassadors to visitors to Canada.

This program, which is a direct extension of the many services provided to tourists in Canada, was initially intended to attract more foreign visitors by offering them significant tax and duty free savings on the purchase of a host of consumer items. An integral part of the introduction was to create viable business opportunities for independent business people, and to generate significant employment.

Moreover, the program has from the beginning promoted many fine Canadian-made quality products and offered high quality internationally recognized brands; jewellery, leather goods, crystal, wine/spirits, perfumes, and a wide range of electronics.

As a matter of policy, all duty free shops owners deliberately foster a distinctly Canadian flavour or ambiance in their stores.