Under Canada’s Global Markets Action Plan (GMAP), the government’s pro-export, pro-jobs plan, new markets around the world have been opened for Nova Scotia exports. These historic trade achievements will benefit hard-working Canadians in Nova Scotia and throughout Canada.
In just one year, the government has delivered on its GMAP commitment to eliminate tariffs and support Canadian companies, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and to boost exports, including through:
- the conclusion of negotiations and release of the complete text of the historic Canada-European Union trade agreement. The agreement will eliminate tariffs on almost all of Nova Scotia’s key exports. On the first day of the agreement’s coming into force, 96 percent of tariffs on fish and seafood products and 99 percent of tariffs on manufactured products entering the EU will be eliminated. Nova Scotia and the Port of Halifax, as Canada’s gateway to Europe, are well positioned to benefit from increased export opportunities to the EU market and its 500 million consumers.
- the conclusion of Canada’s first free trade agreement in Asia with the landmark Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement (CKFTA), which is on track to come into force on January 1, 2015. Nova Scotia will see tremendous opportunities for export growth, given the complete elimination of South Korean duties on many Canadian products. For example, Nova Scotia currently ships 40,000 kg of lobster to South Korea each week, and the 20-percent tariff on this product will drop to zero once the agreement comes into force.
The Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade, provided an overview of the government’s vigorous trade promotion efforts, noting that historic trade agreements require historic trade promotion. Under GMAP, the Harper government is supporting workers and businesses across Nova Scotia and ensuring that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have all the necessary tools to seize new opportunities and realize their full export potential.
Key elements of the trade promotion efforts include:
Go Global Export Workshops
Over the next several months, Minister Fast is holding workshops across Canada in collaboration with Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters and all the Government of Canada’s export support agencies. Under GMAP, the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service, Export Development Canada, the Business Development Bank of Canada and the Canadian Commercial Corporation have been aligning their activities, facilitating referrals, sharing market intelligence and information, and providing a whole-of-government approach to boost SME exports.
Regional Trade Commissioner Service (TCS) Activities
In 2014, the TCS’s Atlantic Regional Office, based in Halifax, assisted 299 SMEs, providing them with on-the-ground international business support, including 436 targeted services, and connecting them to markets of interest.
Trade commissioners have been embedded with public and private sector partners across Canada, including in Nova Scotia with the Aerospace and Defence Industries Association of Nova Scotia and the Association of Seafood Producers, so they may work closely with businesses to ensure the Government of Canada is responsive to their needs. Discussions are under way with the Association of Canadian Port Authorities for a similarly embedded position at the Port of Halifax.
Export Development Canada (EDC)
EDC helped 155 Nova Scotia companies finance or insure $836-million worth of international sales and investments. For example, EDC funded Acadian Seaplants Limited’s acquisition in Ireland and provided Nautel Limited with financing for foreign buyers, enabling the company to operate in 77 countries.
Nova Scotia’s overall exports are projected to increase by a sky-high 35 percent in 2014, the most growth of any province. This growth is expected to temper in 2015 to a more modest 3 percent, but still from a much higher base.
Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC)
CCC has helped Halifax-area companies such as Rolls-Royce Canada Limited, Armament Technology Incorporated and IMP Group Limited to export to the United States and abroad.
Attracting Job-Creating Investments in Nova Scotia
Significant investments were made in Nova Scotia in 2014 that created jobs and opportunities for Canadians. For example, DSM Nutritional Products, part of Royal DSM NV, a global leader in health nutritional ingredients, announced a $30-million expansion of its Mulgrave facility and is now one of Nova Scotia’s largest employers in the life sciences industry.
Through the Invest Canada - Community Initiatives program, the Government of Canada provided a total of $129,000 to four Nova Scotia communities or community organizations: Greater Halifax Partnership, Halifax Gateway Council, Municipality of East Hants and the Town of Antigonish, to help attract job-creating investments in Nova Scotia.
Opening Markets and Supporting Nova Scotia Businesses Abroad
In 2014, Minister Fast led a trade mission to the United Kingdom that included representatives of three Nova Scotia companies: Clearwater Seafoods LP, Louisbourg Seafood Limited and Terra Beata Farms.
Minister Fast also led the Canadian delegation at the Seafood Expo Global 2014 in Brussels, Belgium, to promote fish and seafood exports. He was joined by representatives of 10 Nova Scotia companies: Breakers Fish Company Ltd., Fisher King Seafoods, Clearwater Seafoods LP, Gidney Fisheries Ltd., James L. Mood Fisheries Ltd., IMO Foods Ltd., I. Deveau Fisheries Ltd., Pearlmark Foods Inc., Zeus Seafood Inc. and Victoria Co-operative Fisheries.
Innovative companies from Nova Scotia can count on the support of the Canadian Technology Accelerator (CTA) program. Eight companies from Nova Scotia participated in CTA programs in 2014. For example, information technology company Analyze RE, from Halifax, participated in a CTA in the United Kingdom.
Nova Scotia-based Green Power Labs has executed a major business development and cooperation agreement with China’s State Nuclear Electric Power Planning Design and Research Institute. The scope of cooperation includes solar project development in China and other countries and the development of new technology and applications in core areas of smart building, smart city and smart grid design.
Minister Fast encouraged Nova Scotia-based businesses to take advantage of the Enterprise Canada Network, Provided in partnership with EDC and Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, this network gives online access to more than 30,000 business profiles and information on opportunities in the European market.
Under GMAP, the Harper government committed to developing comprehensive strategies in key sectors. One of these, the International Education Strategy, was released in January 2014 with the goal of attracting innovative researchers and students to Canada and entrenching ties between Canadian educational institutions and their global counterparts. In 2013 there were 9,920 international students studying in Nova Scotia, delivering economic and social benefits to the province.
Minister Fast invited businesses in Nova Scotia to accompany him on his first trade mission of 2015. This trade mission to South Korea, which will take place from February 8 to 13, will enable businesses to take full advantage of the Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement and benefit from on-the-ground support from the Government of Canada.
Quotes
“This year, 2014, has been the most successful year for international trade in Canadian history, benefiting hard-working Canadians in Nova Scotia and in every region of the country. Under Canada’s Global Markets Action Plan, we will continue our vigorous trade promotion efforts to boost our exports.
“In 2015, we will continue to focus on the real priorities of hard-working Canadians: creating new jobs and prosperity.”
- Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade
Associated Links
Quotes from Nova Scotia Stakeholders
“DSM evaluated multiple locations across the Americas for an expansion within our nutritional products division responsible for the nutrition business group. With Nova Scotia Business Inc.’s support, along with Nova Scotia’s talented and educated workforce and leading universities in the research and development of marine sciences, Nova Scotia was the right choice for this investment.”
- Stephan B. Tanda, Managing Board Member, DSM Nutritional Products
“DSM has been a flagship operation in Nova Scotia, helping define the natural health products and nutraceuticals sector and making us globally competitive and recognizable. Seeing an increased footprint for DSM operations would be a significant move to further solidify Nova Scotia as an international player in this market.”
- Scott Moffitt, Managing Director, BioNova
Canada-European Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)
“This milestone trade agreement with the European Union will lead to an increase in cargo activity through the Port of Halifax. An increase in trade with Europe will have long-term economic benefits for the Port of Halifax as a result of increased trade volumes. As one of Canada’s leading ports for trade with Europe, the Port of Halifax stands ready to facilitate the increase in trade between Europe and Canada that this landmark agreement will bring.”
- Karen Oldfield, President and CEO, Halifax Port Authority
“The free trade agreements to eliminate tariffs will seriously open up the markets. I very much applaud the efforts of government to reduce trade barriers.”
- Nathan Blades, President, Nova Scotia Fish Packers Association
“We see that Nova Scotia is well positioned to capitalize on increased global trade. In our business, lobsters shipped into Europe are subject to an 8-percent duty. As part of the talks with the European Union toward a comprehensive economic and trade agreement, this duty would be eliminated. Less duty makes our products more competitive in Europe.”
- Doug McRae, Partner, Gateway Facilities ULC
“An ambitious agreement with the European Union that eliminates tariff barriers would directly benefit Sable Fish Packers. By increasing our exports to Europe, Sable Fish Packers will be able to grow and create more opportunities for workers in Nova Scotia through jobs and higher wages. We support the government’s efforts to help us expand into large and important markets for the fish and seafood industry.”
- Brian Blades, President, Sable Fish Packers Limited
“Considering the need to diversify markets for Nova Scotia forest products, the Forest Products Association of Nova Scotia welcomes the initiative of the Government of Canada to develop market access into the European Union.”
- Steve Talbot, former executive director, Forest Products Association of Nova Scotia
“For too many of our products, high tariffs have kept us from being competitive on the global stage. The Canada-EU agreement is a game changer for our sector, which is why the Lobster Council of Canada is eager to see CETA ratified as quickly as possible. We call on the federal and provincial governments to implement this agreement as soon as possible. Once CETA is ratified, exporters will have enhanced access to the largest and most lucrative market in the world, therefore ensuring the long-term prosperity of our industry and the thousands of people it employs in Atlantic Canada.”
- Geoff Irvine, Executive Director, Lobster Council of Canada
“A trade agreement with the European Union will finally give businesses on the East Coast a level playing field on which to expand, compete and invest for growth that will benefit workers. We are eagerly awaiting this agreement to be ratified in an effort to strengthen the transatlantic ties that make our economies stronger.”
- Ian D. Smith, CEO, Clearwater Seafoods LP
“The Canada-EU trade agreement is a game changer for several Canadian fisheries, most notably Atlantic Canada’s shrimp sector (particularly cooked and peeled shrimp), lobster processing (with significant positive spillover effects for [sales of] live lobsters), and herring and mackerel. Reducing tariffs from 15-20 percent to 0 percent in the world’s largest seafood market will enable the Canadian fishing industry to put its market diversification strategy into high gear.”
- Patrick McGuinness, President, Fisheries Council of Canada
“The Canada-EU trade deal announced today is welcome news for Canadian aquaculture. This will open new opportunities for Canadian farmed salmon, Yukon arctic char, Pacific coast oysters and Atlantic mussels. Canada’s seafood farmers stand to benefit from coast to coast to coast.”
- Ruth Salmon, Executive Director, Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance
“As a harvester, I support the Canada-EU trade agreement on the basis that it will improve marketing conditions and offer a boost to our industry. Given the number of people the fish and seafood industry employs on the Eastern Shore, this is a welcome development for the industry and those that depend on it.”
- Peter Connors, President, Eastern Shore Fisherman’s Protective Association
“With this agreement, we’re in a very good spot for other countries to see the value of our product.”
- Dannie Hansen, Development Manager, Louisbourg Seafoods Ltd.
“We see real opportunity with CETA agreement and opportunity for us to become a true cargo hub for Canada.”
- Jerry Staples, Vice President, Air Service Marketing and Development, Halifax International Airport Authority
Canadian Technology Accelerator (CTA) Program
“While working at the CTA in San Francisco we built countless relationships that have led to numerous strategic partnerships, including an excellent partnership with a major consultancy. We will continue to maintain a presence in-market as we work toward raising funding and continue to foster ongoing relationships with partners.”
- Affinio Inc., Nova Scotia
