The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade (GVBOT) has announced it is launching a program that is intended to increase the export capacity of small and medium-sized business in British Columbia.
The Trade Accelerator Program (TAP) will be available through the GVBOT and the BC Chamber of Commerce and will provide participants with workshops, clinics and coaching to help them complete and implement market entry plans.
“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 president and CEO Iain Black.
“By investing in these programs, businesses in our region and across the province will benefit.”
The TAP was implemented in the Greater Toronto Area in 2015. Since that time, 150 companies have taken part in the program, with an average annual growth of 70% in international sales one year after participation.
The launch comes as Canada is in talks to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement with the United States and Mexico and a week after the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement came into effect.
