An Overview of Frontier Duty Free Association
The Frontier Duty Free Association (FDFA) is a non-profit organization founded in 1984 to represent Canada’s land border duty-free shops. Our mission is to foster the growth and success of the land border duty free sector by serving as a strong voice, advocate, and valuable business resource for our 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.
Media contact:
Barbara Barrett, Executive Director
Phone: 343-998-8906
Email: bbarrett@fdfa.ca
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.
Learn more about duty free.
For more information on the FDFA, our activities and initiatives, please contact the head office at 613-688-9788 or agardner@fdfa.ca.