Warsaw, Poland - 9 June 2015
In Economic Action Plan 2012, our Government committed to building on the success of the 2007 Global Commerce Strategy by consulting extensively with Canada’s business community to identify new markets, strengths and opportunities. These cross-country consultations included the critical small and medium-sized enterprises which are the backbone of the Canadian economy. An advisory panel of leading business and industry leaders provided guidance. The result was the Global Markets Action Plan (GMAP).
Under the GMAP, which was launched in 2013, the Government of Canada has committed to concentrate its efforts on the markets that hold the greatest promise for Canadian business. This is being done through vigorous trade promotion and ambitious trade policy. Most importantly, the focus is on core objectives within those markets. The plan plays to Canada’s strengths and ensures that all Government of Canada diplomatic assets are harnessed to support the pursuit of commercial success by Canadian companies and investors. When Canadian companies succeed abroad, all Canadians benefit from the jobs and opportunities that are created at home.
Within the GMAP, three-year market access plans (MAPs) for each priority market are being developed and are expected to be released over a three-year period. These plans, which will be periodically reviewed and updated, will mobilize partnerships across the federal government and the private sector to make the pursuit of Canada’s commercial interests in identified markets a truly coordinated national effort. Furthermore, actions to capitalize on Canada’s preferential access to over half of the global marketplace thanks to the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Canada-European Union Trade Agreement will be taken to ensure that this unrivalled competitive edge benefits workers and businesses across Canada.
An advisory council was also created for the Global Markets Action Plan. Comprised of business and industry leaders and experts in international business, the advisory council met in March 2015 to provide the Minister of International Trade with strategic insight, advice, and real-world perspectives on how to keep the GMAP relevant to Canadian business needs.
With the eighth-largest economy in the European Union and a population of just over 38 million, Poland is a priority established market under Canada’s Global Markets Action Plan.
The country’s positive economic growth in the past several years has attracted the attention of the Canadian private sector and many opportunities remain for Canadian firms in a variety of sectors including aerospace, education, information and communication technologies, infrastructure, oil and gas, sustainable technologies, agri-food and transportation. Opportunities for increased collaboration also exist in sectors such as extractive industries, energy and public and private partnerships.
Many of these opportunities will be significantly improved by the entry into force of the Canada-EU Trade Agreement, which will eliminate or lower tariffs on Canadian exports, provide Canadian businesses with access to Polish Government procurement opportunities and ensure that Canadian service providers can compete on an equal footing with Polish service providers.
