Supporting and partnering with small and medium-sized enterprises to seize opportunities abroad is a key part of our pro-export, pro-jobs plan, says Minister Fast
May 1, 2015 - Vaughan, Ontario - Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada
The Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade, alongside the Honourable Julian Fantino, Member of Parliament for Vaughan, and Jayson Myers, President and CEO of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, today hosted an export workshop designed 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 export workshop in Vaughan, part of a cross-country series launched by Minister Fast in November 2014, was attended by 90 participants. To date, 18 workshops have been hosted across Canada, attracting a total of more than 2,000 SME representatives.
By bringing together the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service, Export Development Canada, the Business Development Bank of Canada and the Canadian Commercial Corporation, these export workshops, delivered in partnership with Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, provide a one-stop shop offering information and tools to SMEs to help them succeed abroad.
As part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan 2015—a balanced budget, low-tax plan for jobs, growth and security—Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced a total of $50 million over five years in direct financial assistance to Canadian SMEs for market research and participation in trade missions. It is expected that this funding will help between 500 and 1,000 Canadian entrepreneurs per year reach their full export potential.
While in Vaughan, Minister Fast, alongside Minister Fantino, announced Invest Canada - Community Initiatives (ICCI) funding of $10,000 for the City of Vaughan. Through ICCI, the government works with municipalities to attract and retain global investment, creating jobs across the country.
With the Global Markets Action Plan (GMAP), through economic diplomacy and under a whole-of-government approach to exporting, the Harper Government has revolutionized Canada’s trade-promotion efforts by ensuring Canadian businesses receive the full range of support and services they need to find real export success in global markets—creating jobs and opportunities for workers and their families here at home.
Minister Fast invited participants to join him on his upcoming trade mission to the Philippines, which will take place from May 24 to 28, 2015.
“Our government is committed to working shoulder-to-shoulder with Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises in Vaughan and across the country to seize export opportunities and create jobs. Our efforts to support exporters are yielding significant results. I look forward to engaging with many more Canadian businesses across the country in the upcoming months.
“We are breaking down the silos between our export agencies, taking a whole-of-government approach to exporting and providing the tools, services and information that businesses need to succeed.
“This government’s priority is the same as that of all Canadians: jobs and economic growth. Canada’s Economic Action Plan 2015 is a balanced-budget, low-tax plan that will make our country more prosperous and more secure. By ensuring that Canada is a top destination for business investment and by opening up new market opportunities around the world, we are creating jobs and prosperity here in Ontario and across Canada.”
- Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade
Max Moncaster
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Ed Fast
Minister of International Trade
343-203-7332
Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada
343-203-7700
media@international.gc.ca
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