PM announces expansion of trade network in China

PM announces expansion of trade network in China

 Hangzhou, China, 7 November 2014

 

 

Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivers remarks at a welcoming luncheon hosted by the Canada China Business Council and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade during his official visit to China.

Introduction

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced that Canada will open new trade offices in the Chinese cities of Hangzhou, Xi’an, Xiamen and Tianjin. This will help Canadian businesses flourish in some of the fastest growing regions of China with a view to generating jobs and economic growth back home. The Prime Minister made the announcement during his visit to China, from November 5 to 10, 2014.

The four new offices, established in collaboration with the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC), will expand Canada’s trade network in China, bringing it to a total of 15 locations across the country.

Canadian trade offices in China have proven especially effective in helping Canadian businesses – especially small- and medium-sized enterprises – find the opportunities and contacts necessary to successfully export to China, Canada’s second-largest trading partner.

Hangzhou in the east, Xi’an in central China, Xiamen in the southeast, and Tianjin in the northeast are located in some of China’s fastest-growing regions. These cities and regions were selected because their needs match Canadian strengths, particularly in the areas of information technology, electronics, automotive, aerospace, medicine, energy and finance sectors.

China is a priority market in Canada’s Global Markets Action Plan, which aims to help Canadian companies succeed abroad. The Government of Canada is supporting companies through tools and services made available through new trade offices, the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service, Export Development Canada, the Business Development Bank of Canada and the CCC.

Quick Facts

• The populations of the cities where the four new offices will be located – Hangzhou, Xi’an, Xiamen and Tianjin – total over 42 million people.
• The new trade offices – which will be opened by the end of 2014 – will help Canadians assess market potential, find qualified business contacts and resolve business problems.
• The six trade offices that Canada opened in China in late 2009 – in Qingdao, Shenyang, Wuhan, Nanjing, Chengdu, and Shenzhen – have helped generate almost 500 business leads and facilitated 50 commercial transactions for Canadian clients, which are estimated to be worth more than $75 million.
• The Canadian trade offices complement Canada’s trade presence at its embassy in Beijing and in Consulates General in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing and Hong Kong.
• China is Canada’s second-largest single-country trading partner. In 2013, two-way merchandise trade between the two countries reached $73.2 billion and accounted for 7.7 per cent of Canada’s world trade.
• This is Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s third official visit to China since taking office.

Quote

“The Chinese cities of Hangzhou, Xi’an, Xiamen and Tianjin offer exciting new opportunities for Canadian companies. The four new trade offices announced today will help match local needs with world-class Canadian goods and services, generating jobs and prosperity back home.” – Prime Minister Stephen Harper

- See more at: http://pm.gc.ca/eng/news/2014/11/07/pm-announces-expansion-trade-network-china#sthash.fXVRjHGH.dpuf