Supporting and partnering with small and medium-sized businesses to seize opportunities abroad is a key part of our pro-export, pro-jobs plan, says Minister Bernier
November 27, 2014 - Montréal, Quebec - Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada
The Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism, and Agriculture), today hosted an export workshop to provide small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with the tools and practical information they need to take advantage of international business opportunities to export. Today’s workshop took place in Montréal, on the margins of the Stratégies PME 2015 [SME strategies 2015] conference, and is part of a cross-country series launched last week by International Trade Minister Ed Fast.
Minister Bernier invited Quebec SMEs to position themselves to take advantage of the opportunities created by the Canada-EU and Canada-South Korea trade agreements. He highlighted the many tools available to help SMEs export, including the recently launched Canadian Technology Accelerators (CTAs) in London, U.K., and Paris, France, and the Enterprise Canada Network (ECN). ECN is an online service that provides Canadian small and medium-sized businesses with access to 30,000 business opportunity profiles in the European market.
Minister Bernier announced that a trade commissioner would be embedded at the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec [Quebec federation of chambers of commerce]. Trade commissioners are currently embedded at Manufacturiers et exportateurs du Québec [manufacturers and exporters of Quebec] and the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal to gain a better insight into evolving export needs and provide support to Quebec businesses.
Minister Bernier also invited SMEs to join Minister Fast on his upcoming trade mission to South Korea, which will take place from February 8 to 13, 2015.
Last year, Minister Fast released the Global Markets Action Plan with the goal of doubling to 21,000 the number of Canadian SMEs exporting to emerging markets. In support of this goal, Minister Fast instructed Canada’s export agencies to enhance their coordination, closely align their activities and facilitate referrals in order to better serve and be responsive to the needs of SMEs.
By bringing together the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service, Export Development Canada, the Business Development Bank of Canada and the Canadian Commercial Corporation, Go Global export workshops, delivered in partnership with Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, provide a one-stop shop providing information and tools to SMEs that are exploring opportunities abroad.
The next export workshops will be held in Mississauga, Ontario, on Friday, November 28 and Halifax, Nova Scotia, on Friday, December 5, 2014.
Shannon Gutoskie
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Ed Fast
Minister of International Trade
613-992-7332
Laurence Gagnon d’Entremont
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Maxime Bernier
Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism, and Agriculture)
613-943-6183
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