Expand Your Exports
There’s much you can do to take your exporting business to the next level. And the best part is you don’t have to do it alone. Learn more about the support available as you consider the following:• Travelling abroad
• Attending trade missions, tradeshows and events
• Finding export opportunities and foreign customers
• Bidding on international projects
• Securing financial backing
Travelling abroad
Exporting might require you to make trips abroad—to visit with your target market, perhaps, or meet potential customers. The following guides are extremely helpful:
The Consular Affairs Bureau at Foreign Affairs Canada (FAC) provides assistance to Canadian travelers abroad. You can access Canada's consular services any day at any time through a network of more than 270 locations—embassies, high commissions, consulates, consulates headed by honorary consuls, and offices—in some 180 countries. Each of these provides a different level of service. To learn more, visit FAC’s listing of Canadian Government Offices Abroad, which offers a full description of the Different Types of Canadian Government Offices Abroad.
Attending trade missions, tradeshows and events
Team Canada Inc. defines a trade mission as:
"…a visit to a target market by a group of business delegates, including representatives from small and medium-sized businesses, large corporations, educational institutions and associations and is generally led by government officials. Such missions highlight Canadian commercial, educational and cultural links to the destination countries while allowing participants to extend their business networks. They help Canadian businesses gain greater access to new markets, develop long-term trade and investment opportunities, build international networks and promote Canadian values.”
For information on participating in federal, provincial and sectoral trade missions go to Exportsource.ca. You’ll also find current information on trade shows and events under Trade Shows/Events. These are divided into three sections: Sectoral Trade Shows, Provincial Trade Shows, and Other Trade Shows and Events.
For up-to-date information on other sectoral or regional events, visit the EDC events page.
Finding export opportunities and foreign customers
The Virtual Trade Commissioner is your gateway to The Canadian Trade Commissioner Service which helps new and experienced companies that have researched and selected their target markets. VTC offers information about the six core services offered in 140 cities around the world and access information on foreign markets. VTC is available to Canadian companies who have registered via the VTC website at www.infoexport.gc.ca, free of charge.
After a company has identified a specific target market, the next step is to contact the Trade Commissioner Service (TCS) abroad and ask for a "Key Contact Search." Again, this free service is available to companies that register with the Virtual Trade Commissioner.
Other resources
Canadian Company Capabilities Database
Companies that register with Industry Canada's Canadian Company Capabilities Database expose themselves to more than 50,000 domestic and international firms that browse the database each month looking for Canadian businesses to provide specific goods and services. Registered companies also increase their visibility to government and private-sector procurement professionals.
Trade Team Canada Sectors
Industry Canada’s Trade Team Canada Sectors website provides links to 13 key Canadian industries. It helps Canadian companies coordinate trade development within industries.
International Trade Centre
The International Trade Centre (ITC) is the technical cooperation agency of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) for operational, enterprise-oriented aspects of trade development.
Bidding on international projects
The Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC) has extensive expertise and knowledge of bid and proposal preparation, particularly in public-sector markets. The CCC helps Canadian companies create bids with competitive and practical terms and conditions. Visit the CCC for Bid/Proposal Preparation. You can also call the CCC’s Information Line for Canadian Exporter Project Assistance at 1-800-748-8191.
Securing financing for export transactions
The EXPORT Finance Guide helps companies understand and access information tools at each stage of the export transaction cycle. It helps determine the kinds of financing required, and where that financing can be found.
For additional sources of financing, consult Industry Canada's extensive database of financial providers for SMEs. That same database includes diversified resources to help build financing knowledge.
ExportSource.ca offers a list of Federal Financing Programs and Provincial Financing Programs.
