Terms and conditions
Effective Date: September 29, 2022
Last Updated: May 23, 2026
1. Website Operator and Organizational Status
This Website is operated by the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Trade Council, also known as CUSMEX, a non-profit organization headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
In these policies, “CUSMEX,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Trade Council.
“Website” means usa.cusmex.com, including its pages, accounts, registration systems, checkout functions, forms, databases, event pages, and any related digital service that links to these policies.
CUSMEX promotes business development, trade, investment, workforce development, education, economic development, institutional cooperation, and regional competitiveness among Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
CUSMEX may organize or administer:
Business-promotion and trade-development programs;
Conferences, forums, assemblies, trade missions, and networking events;
The North American Trade Parliament;
Educational and professional-development programs;
Workforce-related initiatives;
Certifications and institutional recognitions;
Sponsorships and exhibitions;
Business and institutional introductions;
Membership and institutional-participation programs;
Economic-development and real-estate promotion initiatives;
News, publications, directories, and promotional campaigns; and
Other activities consistent with CUSMEX’s non-profit purposes.
CUSMEX may charge registration, participation, membership, educational, certification, sponsorship, exhibition, promotional, or administrative fees to support its programs and operations.
CUSMEX’s status as a non-profit organization does not mean that all CUSMEX services or activities are offered without charge.
Nonprofit Status and Charitable Receipts
CUSMEX is not represented through this Website as a registered charity or qualified donee unless a specific page expressly states otherwise and provides the applicable charitable registration information.
Unless expressly confirmed in writing by CUSMEX:
Event fees, sponsorship payments, program fees, membership fees, and other payments are not charitable donations;
CUSMEX will not issue an official charitable donation receipt for Canadian income-tax purposes;
A payment receipt or commercial invoice is not an official charitable donation receipt; and
Sponsorship payments made in exchange for advertising, admission, exhibition space, recognition, or another benefit are treated as sponsorship or program payments rather than charitable gifts.
2. Exact Legal Name
The organizational name appearing in these policies should match the exact legal name shown on CUSMEX’s incorporation or registration records.
If CUSMEX’s registered legal name includes a suffix or other wording not shown above, such as “Inc.,” “Society,” or another legal designation, the Website should use that complete registered name.
CUSMEX may also publish its incorporation jurisdiction, corporate or society registration number, and business number where appropriate.
3. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
These Terms of Use, the Privacy Policy, the Event Registration Terms, the Cookie Policy, and transactions completed directly with CUSMEX are governed by the laws of the Province of Alberta and the federal laws of Canada applicable in Alberta, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.
This governing-law provision does not deprive a consumer, Website user, or data subject of any mandatory right or protection that cannot lawfully be waived under applicable consumer-protection, privacy, accessibility, payment, or other laws.
Before commencing legal proceedings, a party should provide written notice describing the dispute and allow the other party a reasonable opportunity to attempt to resolve it in good faith.
This informal-resolution requirement does not apply when:
Urgent injunctive or protective relief is reasonably necessary;
A legal limitation period is about to expire;
Immediate action is necessary to protect safety, confidential information, intellectual property, or Website security; or
Applicable law prohibits making informal resolution a precondition to a claim.
Subject to any mandatory law requiring another forum, the parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Alberta having jurisdiction in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
The listing of a CUSMEX office, representative, director, partner, program, event, or activity in another province or country does not change this governing-law provision unless a separate written agreement expressly provides otherwise.
4. Payments Through Stripe
4.1 Payment Provider
CUSMEX uses Stripe to facilitate eligible online payments.
Depending on the transaction and service involved, payment services may be provided by Stripe and one or more of its affiliates, including Stripe Payments Canada, Ltd., as applicable.
Stripe is a separate organization with its own legal terms, privacy practices, security procedures, and regulatory responsibilities.
Unless the checkout page expressly identifies another seller or merchant, CUSMEX remains responsible for the CUSMEX event, program, membership, sponsorship, certification, or other service purchased through the Website.
Stripe facilitates the payment and is not responsible for the quality, delivery, content, cancellation, or performance of the underlying CUSMEX service.
4.2 Information Processed by Stripe
When a user submits a payment, Stripe may collect or process:
Cardholder or account-holder name;
Billing address;
Email address;
Telephone number;
Payment-card or bank-account information;
Card expiration and verification information;
IP address;
Browser and device information;
Transaction amount and currency;
Authentication information;
Fraud and risk information; and
Other information required to authorize, settle, refund, verify, secure, or dispute a payment.
Where the Website’s Stripe integration is operating as configured, sensitive payment credentials are entered into Stripe-controlled payment fields or checkout pages.
CUSMEX does not intentionally collect or store complete payment-card numbers or card verification codes within its own general Website database.
CUSMEX may receive limited transaction information from Stripe, including:
Customer name and contact information;
Billing address;
Transaction identifier;
Amount and currency;
Payment status;
Payment-method type;
Card brand;
Limited card information, such as the final digits;
Refund status;
Risk or fraud indicators;
Chargeback or dispute information; and
Information needed for accounting, customer service, and legal compliance.
4.3 Stripe’s Privacy Role
Stripe may process personal information:
On behalf of CUSMEX and in accordance with CUSMEX’s payment instructions; and
For Stripe’s own lawful purposes, including payment-network operation, fraud prevention, security, identity verification, legal compliance, regulatory obligations, service improvement, and the administration of Stripe-controlled services.
CUSMEX does not control Stripe’s independent processing activities.
Users should review the privacy policy and legal terms presented by Stripe when completing a payment or using a Stripe-controlled payment feature.
4.4 Authorization
By submitting a payment, the purchaser confirms that:
The information provided is accurate;
The purchaser is authorized to use the selected payment method;
CUSMEX and Stripe are authorized to process the displayed transaction;
The purchaser accepts the applicable event, program, refund, and cancellation terms; and
The transaction may be reviewed for fraud prevention, authentication, security, and legal compliance.
A transaction is not complete until payment has been successfully authorized and CUSMEX has issued a confirmation.
4.5 Currency and Third-Party Fees
The transaction will be processed in the currency displayed during checkout.
The purchaser’s bank, card issuer, or payment provider may impose:
Foreign-exchange charges;
International transaction fees;
Bank fees;
Card-network charges; or
Other third-party charges.
CUSMEX does not control these charges and is not responsible for fees independently imposed by a financial institution or payment provider.
4.6 Declined or Reviewed Payments
CUSMEX or Stripe may decline, delay, review, or cancel a transaction when:
Payment authorization fails;
Submitted information appears inaccurate or incomplete;
Fraud or unauthorized activity is suspected;
Identity, institutional, or billing verification is required;
The payment method is restricted;
The transaction may violate applicable law or payment-network rules;
The event or service is unavailable; or
A material technical or pricing error has occurred.
CUSMEX may request reasonable information to verify a purchaser’s identity, organization, eligibility, billing information, or authority to complete a transaction.
4.7 Refunds
Refund eligibility is governed by the refund and cancellation terms displayed for the applicable event, program, sponsorship, membership, certification, or service.
When CUSMEX approves a refund, it will normally be submitted through Stripe to the original payment method.
The time required for a refund to appear is affected by Stripe, payment networks, banks, and card issuers. CUSMEX cannot guarantee the date on which the funds will become available.
Unless required by law, CUSMEX is not responsible for:
Exchange-rate differences;
Currency-conversion losses;
Bank charges;
Card-issuer charges; or
Other fees retained or imposed by a third party.
4.8 Payment Disputes and Chargebacks
A purchaser who believes a payment is incorrect should contact CUSMEX at info@cusmex.com before initiating a chargeback, where reasonably possible.
Contacting CUSMEX first does not restrict any legitimate right the purchaser may have under applicable law, card-network rules, or the purchaser’s agreement with their financial institution.
When a chargeback or payment dispute is filed, CUSMEX may provide Stripe, the payment network, the issuing bank, or another authorized participant with information reasonably necessary to respond to the dispute, including:
Transaction records;
Registration information;
Applicable terms accepted at checkout;
Confirmation emails;
Communications concerning the purchase;
Attendance or service-delivery records;
Invoice and refund information; and
Relevant technical or security records.
CUSMEX may suspend or cancel an associated registration or service when payment has been reversed, refunded, disputed, or determined to be unauthorized.
CUSMEX may take reasonable action in response to fraudulent or abusive payment activity, but nothing in these policies limits a purchaser’s lawful right to dispute an unauthorized or incorrect transaction.
5. Applicable Canadian Privacy Laws
CUSMEX will handle personal information in accordance with the privacy laws applicable to the particular activity, transaction, individual, and jurisdiction.
Depending on the circumstances, applicable Canadian laws may include:
Alberta’s Personal Information Protection Act, particularly where personal information is collected, used, or disclosed in connection with an activity to which that law applies; and
Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, particularly where personal information is handled during an applicable commercial activity and crosses provincial or national borders.
CUSMEX’s non-profit status does not by itself determine whether a particular activity is inside or outside the scope of a privacy law.
CUSMEX will therefore apply privacy principles concerning:
Accountability;
Identifying the purposes of collection;
Appropriate consent;
Limiting collection;
Limiting use, disclosure, and retention;
Accuracy;
Security safeguards;
Openness;
Individual access; and
Procedures for challenging compliance.
6. Privacy Officer
CUSMEX designates the following position as responsible for overseeing its Website privacy practices:
CUSMEX Privacy Officer
Canada-U.S.-Mexico Trade Council
888 3rd Street SW, 10th Floor
Bankers Hall West, Suite 1000
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Email: info@cusmex.com
Email subject: Privacy Request
The Privacy Officer is responsible for receiving:
Privacy questions;
Access requests;
Correction requests;
Consent-withdrawal requests;
Complaints;
Requests concerning international service providers;
Requests concerning CUSMEX’s privacy policies and practices; and
Other legally recognized privacy requests.
CUSMEX may require reasonable information to verify the identity and authority of a person making a request.
7. International and External Service Providers
CUSMEX operates internationally and may use service providers located in Canada, the United States, Mexico, or other countries.
These providers may include:
Stripe;
Website-hosting providers;
Cloud-storage providers;
Email and newsletter systems;
Customer relationship management systems;
Analytics providers;
Ticketing and event platforms;
Video-conferencing systems;
Social-media platforms;
Accounting providers;
Cybersecurity providers;
Translation providers; and
Event organizers or operational partners.
Personal information processed outside Canada may be subject to the laws of the country in which the service provider or its systems are located, including lawful-access requests by courts, regulators, or law-enforcement authorities.
Individuals may contact the CUSMEX Privacy Officer to request information about:
The countries in which CUSMEX’s external service providers may process information;
The purposes for which those providers are authorized to process information; and
CUSMEX’s policies and practices concerning service providers outside Canada.
8. Privacy Rights
Subject to applicable law and legal exceptions, an individual may request:
Access to personal information held by CUSMEX;
Correction of inaccurate or incomplete information;
Information about how personal information has been used or disclosed;
Withdrawal of consent where processing depends on consent;
Deletion or restriction where legally available;
An objection to certain processing;
Opt-out from certain marketing or targeted-advertising activities; or
Review of a privacy concern or complaint.
Withdrawal of consent may prevent CUSMEX from continuing to provide a service when the information is reasonably necessary to administer that service.
CUSMEX may retain information when reasonably necessary to:
Complete or document a transaction;
Administer an event, program, or membership;
Comply with tax, accounting, legal, or regulatory obligations;
Prevent fraud;
Protect Website or payment security;
Respond to a dispute;
Maintain an unsubscribe or suppression record;
Establish, exercise, or defend a legal claim; or
Fulfil another lawful organizational purpose.
9. Privacy and Security Incidents
CUSMEX uses reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect personal information.
No Website, payment system, cloud platform, database, or internet transmission can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
CUSMEX will assess suspected privacy and security incidents and will provide notices to affected individuals, regulators, or other parties when required by applicable law.
Where Alberta PIPA applies and a breach creates a real risk of significant harm, CUSMEX will report the breach to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta and provide any additional legally required notices.
10. Electronic Marketing
CUSMEX may send transactional communications necessary to administer:
Accounts;
Event registrations;
Payments;
Memberships;
Sponsorships;
Certifications;
Program participation;
Security matters; and
Requested services.
Promotional emails, newsletters, event invitations, and business-opportunity communications will be sent in accordance with applicable consent and electronic-marketing requirements.
Where required, promotional consent will be:
Separate from mandatory acceptance of Website or event terms;
Voluntary;
Clearly described; and
Capable of being withdrawn.
Every qualifying commercial electronic message will include appropriate sender identification and a functional unsubscribe mechanism.
Unsubscribing from promotional communications will not prevent CUSMEX from sending necessary transaction, registration, security, or legal notices.
11. Contact Information
Questions, notices, privacy requests, payment inquiries, and complaints relating to the Website may be directed to:
Canada-U.S.-Mexico Trade Council — CUSMEX
Non-Profit Organization
888 3rd Street SW, 10th Floor
Bankers Hall West, Suite 1000
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Email: info@cusmex.com
Telephone: +1 (800) 927-6121
Privacy correspondence:
CUSMEX Privacy Officer
Subject: Privacy Request