Wood exports
How the ministry helps promote forest industry exports.
Exporting Ontario wood
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry helps the forest industry make the most of export opportunities. Export activity can be found in every wood products sub-sector.
The ministry offers a range of export-related services. These include:
- supplying market intelligence
- facilitating relationships between Ontario producers and potential buyers
- addressing market access issues
- building capacity through training
Our export promotion goals help companies:
- increase their exposure to international best practices, ideas and alternative ways of doing business
- decrease the impact of economic changes, consumer demands and seasonal fluctuations within their traditional markets by expanding into new foreign markets
- save costs by producing on a scale that makes better use of resources
- increase their share of overseas markets, which allows small companies to grow and become more competitive
- increase overseas customer awareness and confidence in Ontario wood manufacturers
Services for exporters
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry helps forestry and value-added wood product companies make the most of export opportunities.
Market intelligence
The ministry provides advice and market information to exporters. It also gathers marketing information for those looking to expand their sales base.
The ministry also works with other partners, including Natural Resources Canada and the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development to develop market intelligence. Information about areas like China, India, the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean is available. This market intelligence can help your company export products to these markets.
The ministry helps conduct studies to help the industry:
- expand or recover market share in its traditional U.S. and European markets
- make gains in new markets, such as the Gulf Coast Council (GCC) countries and some Asian economies
Increasing wood exports
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry works with partners to support workshops and seminars that help potential exporters access new market opportunities.
The Wood Manufacturing Council offers an on-line learning solution that provides industry professionals with tools to create an Export Plan for their enterprise.
Entrepreneurs, executives and managers in the wood-manufacturing industry can attend these workshops and seminars to better understand international trade issues and the skills they need to take advantage of these markets.
Building relationships
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry matches buyers with potential suppliers. It supports incoming and outgoing missions so buyers can meet Ontario suppliers and view production facilities firsthand.
The ministry also promotes the environmentally friendly attributes of Ontario wood products to perspective buyers.
We can help your company participate in selected international trade shows to connect you with potential buyers and showcase your products.
Personal contacts are critical to winning in export markets. These events can help you:
- generate export sales
- get in-market exposure
- meet buyers face-to-face
- gather first-hand information about export markets
Examples of trade shows include:
- Global Buyers Mission
- Montreal Wood Convention
- Greenbuild International Conference and Expo
- Ecobuild
- Timber Expo
Market access
We work with industry representatives, other provinces and the federal government to help the industry overcome non-tariff trade barriers and enhance market access for Canadian wood products.
The Canadian Council of Forest Ministers works to promote Canada as a leader in sustainable forest management and environmental stewardship. Our goal is to protect and enhance market access for Canadian forest products.