How can Canadian SMEs take advantage of CETA?

13/03/2017

Business man with Canadian Flag shirt

Business man with Canadian Flag shirt

CETA, a progressive trade deal between Canada and the 28 members of the European Union, passed its last hurdle on February 15 when it was signed by the EU legislature. The agreement covers almost all sectors of EU-Canada trade, eliminating 98% of trade tariffs and creating new opportunities for Canadian businesses looking for new markets.

“At its heart, CETA is a framework for trade that works for everyone,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a recent address to the EU Parliament.

So now that CETA is becoming a reality, what does that mean for Canadian businesses who are seeking new markets to trade with? To explore these new opportunities, we asked some Canadian trade experts to share their take on this new deal in this month’s #TradeElite Twitter chat. Here’s what they had to say.

Moderator: Craig Atkinson (@CraigAAtkinson) Director, International Trade and Development Consulting with Lexmerca, formerly with the ITC, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Geneva, Switzerland.

Panelists:

Siddha Param (@SiddhaParam) International Business Consultant for StrandRidge.com, based out of Winnipeg, Manitoba

Dr. Michele Vincenti, CITP (@alvana1) President & CEO of Alvana Business Consulting Inc. based out of Vancouver, BC

Audrey Ross (@TresAudrey) Logistics and Customs Specialist at Orchard International Inc. based out of Toronto

Doug Taylor, CITP (@globethoughts), Managing Director of Pacific Business Intelligence Ltd in BC

What barriers to the EU market have been lowered under CETA and how can Canadian SMEs seize related opportunities?

Will CETA make the EU market more accessible to SMEs who might have previously considered the region out of reach?

Trade agreements are complicated. Where can Canadian SMEs find info/resources on how to take advantage of CETA?

Which sectors do you think are most promising for Canadian SMEs that trade with biz and/or gov in the EU?

Which EU-country markets present the most significant trade opportunities for Canadian SMEs?

What are some examples of how Canadian SMEs from different regions/provinces might leverage CETA?

Do you have any key advice that Canadian SMEs should consider before entering the EU market?

Lastly, do you have anything else to add regarding Canadian SME participation in the EU market?

Bonus Question!

Parting advice from our moderator:

Read the rest of the chat and follow future discussions by following the #TradeElite hashtag. Stay tuned for the next #TradeElite chat, coming up Thursday, April 13 at 2:30-3:30PM ET.

About the author

Author: Pamela Hyatt

I am the Content Marketing Specialist for the Forum for International Trade Training (FITT). You can find some of my work on TradeReady.ca. My background is in copywriting, journalism and social media. My passion lies in connecting people to the stories that are most important to them.

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