The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade (GVBOT) has entered into a partnership worth $2.5 million with the provincial government intended to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) increase their export capacity, with a specific focus on Asia.
The agreement spells out specific plans intended to boost World Trade Centre Vancouver, a subsidiary of GVBOT.
“It is clear that when we engage in exporting, we are good at it,” said Vancouver Fraser Port Authority president Robin Silvester.
“Our role is to seize the opportunity afforded to us as Canada’s only Pacific province, to fulfill our exporting potential by looking to Asia and the other markets accessible to us through Canada’s Asia Pacific gateway and by counting on our vibrant SME community.”
The plan includes initiatives to partner industry with government and business experts to help build their international trade capacity. As well, it specifically looks at the export potential of First Nations-owned businesses.
“One in five British Columbian jobs is tied to exporting, and there exists a direct linkage between exporting, job creation and increased productivity, said GVBOT CEO Iain Black.
“By investing in these programs, businesses in Greater Vancouver and across the province will benefit.”
World Trade Centre Vancouver is part of the World Trade Centers Association, which has 324 association members in 89 countries.
@EmmaHampelBIV
