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NEWS RELEASES

July 10, 2002 (2:45 p.m. EDT) No. 80

PETTIGREW ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES ADVISORY BOARD

International Trade Minister Pierre Pettigrew is pleased to announce the appointment of the Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Advisory Board on International Trade. The Board held its inaugural meeting in Ottawa in June 2002.

The Board will act as a voice for other SMEs and will serve as a forum for testing new programs and services available to them. It will also advise the Minister on ways to assist them in exporting their products and services.

"SMEs play a critical role in Canada's export performance and economic growth," said Mr. Pettigrew. "Maintaining the ongoing dialogue between the Government of Canada and SMEs is crucial to understanding their changing needs. The Advisory Board will help us ensure that Canadian SMEs are in the best position to take advantage of market opportunities."

It is estimated that 87 percent of Canada's exporters are SMEs. They are responsible for about 6 percent of the dollar value of Canadian exports. In 2001, total Canadian exports of goods and services amounted to $471 billion, representing 43 percent of Canada's gross domestic product.

The Board was created after the Minister's SME Task Force completed its three-year mandate in September 2001. The Chair of the Task Force, Bianca Battistini, Executive Vice-President of Can-Am Immigration Services Inc. of Sherbrooke, Quebec, has agreed to continue as Chair of the Advisory Board.

The 17-member board, made up of senior executives of small and medium-sized companies from across the country, has a three-year mandate. Its next meeting will take place in Vancouver, British Columbia, in October 2002.

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A list of the board members is attached.

For further information, media representatives may contact:

Sébastien Théberge

Office of the Minister for International Trade

(613) 992-7332

Media Relations Office

Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

(613) 995-1874

http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca

SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES ADVISORY BOARD

Chair:

Mrs. Bianca Battistini

Executive Vice-President

Can-Am Immigration Services Inc.

Sherbrooke, QC

Members: