Canadian companies need customers and suppliers from other markets to grow and subsequently drive investment, job creation, and prosperity for all Canadians. As a small market with a small consumer base in the broader global context, Canada has been declining in importance as a trading nation:
 

• Canadian value-added manufacturing exports remain largely stagnant, falling behind other advanced economies
• Canada’s gains in export growth have been offset by massive increases in imports and widening trade deficits
• Small and medium-sized businesses, limited in size and investment capacity, are unprepared for global competition
• Canada has an inconsistent track record in leveraging free trade agreements for value-added manufactured exports

Positioning Canadian businesses to capitalize on trade and export opportunities will be critical in meeting the government’s objectives of building a stronger, more prosperous middle class and economic base across Canada. CME’s bi-annual Management Issues Survey (MIS) has reported four main obstacles that are preventing manufacturers from expanding their exports:
 

• Costs and/or risks to fund new market opportunities
• Costs of travel to develop business connections
• Lack of information about markets
• Difficulty penetrating supply chains

Our expertise in the area of trade and exports allows CME to offer a wide range of solutions to help manufacturers develop new markets and overcome importing and exporting challenges. Notably, CME played a key role in advising the government throughout the Canada-US-Mexico Trade Agreement (CUSMA) ratification.
 
CME also works with governments to ensure that SMEs can benefit from trade agreements by improving access to market intelligence; creating better export-readiness programs; and simplifying government supports.

Our advocacy efforts have resulted in:
 

• Getting over $1B in direct supports and capacity building for SMEs to grow exports
• Defending industry against steel and aluminum tariffs by encouraging retaliatory tariffs
• Obtaining government support for affected companies through rapid duty deferral program
• Working with railroad companies and the government to help resolve railway strikes and blockades that affected the movement of manufactured goods and trade
• Worked throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the movement of manufacturing personnel across the border

UNLOCK YOUR EXPORT POTENTIAL – LEARN MORE ABOUT BECOMING A CME MEMBER

According to CME’s trade advocacy reports, industry and government should work together to focus resources on areas that will strive towards doubling value-added exports by 2030 – one of the primary objectives of CME’s Industrie 2030 manufacturing strategy for Canada. In gearing up for Canada’s exports, CME seeks to revolve these efforts around three key export pillars:
 

• Strengthening Canada’s existing export foundations, with a focus on building from existing trade agreements, especially the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), and leveraging our natural and existing strengths and resources;
• Scaling up small- and medium-sized companies to support them going global through stronger support programs for domestic investment as well as international growth opportunities; and
• Attracting foreign direct investment and global production mandates from large multinational companies.

Read CME’s report Stalled Trade: Gearing Up for Canadian Exports for more information.
 
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