Building Export markets in Europe and the U.K.

What: An exciting trade mission!

Who: Canadian women business owners who want to expand their business via export

Where: Germany and England

When: November 4-10, 2018

How: email the BWIT team to sign up

Business Women in International Trade  (BWIT) is part of the federal government Trade Commissioner Service (TCS). The team is made up of federal government trade commissioners who specialize in helping Canadian women entrepreneurs internationalize. Trade commissioner Lynne Thomson (third from right), attended SHEday 2018 in Winnipeg and connected with export-oriented women business owners Cindy Boissonneault (second from the left), owner of Poco Inspired and Pina Romolo (third from the left), owner of Piccola Cucina.

One of the primary ways that BWIT helps business women expand internationally is by organizing informative trade missions, like this upcoming one to Europe. With stops in Hamburg and Stuttgart, Germany and London, England, this trip will feature a series of events designed to open new markets in Europe for Canadian women business owners.

Why Europe?

With the renegotiation of NAFTA currently in process, we hear a lot these days about international trade agreements. In recent months, Canada signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with Europe.

In general, it is an advantage to you as an export-oriented business when Canada has a trade agreement with the country to which you want to export. As explained on the Government of Canada Export Market Research web page, “trade agreements help to eliminate or reduce tariffs on Canadian exports, which can increase your competitiveness in foreign markets.”

A trade agreement does not create excitement about export opportunities, but trade missions do! If you choose to invest and participate in this upcoming BWIT trade mission to Germany and England, you will benefit from on-the-ground market research, making business connections, learning the nuances of the market place, and having a better understanding of how your business could penetrate that market.

The four women’s enterprise organizations, Women’s Enterprise Centre in BC (WEC-BC), Alberta Women Entrepreneurs (AWE), Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan (WESK) and the Women’s Enterprise Centre of Manitoba (WECM) work collaboratively with each other and with BWIT to support women business owners who are interested in exporting. All organizations are members of the Women’s Enterprise Organizations of Canada (WEOC).

For more information on this exciting trade mission to Europe, email bwit@international.gc.ca or visit the BWIT website.

Written by Nancy Brommell, Business Advisor and Supplier Diversity Expert, Women’s Enterprise Centre of Manitoba.