FREDERICTON (CNB) - More than a dozen New Brunswick companies will join Premier Shawn Graham and delegations from Ontario, Manitoba, Quebec and Prince Edward Island on a trade mission to China from Nov. 2-7. The group will travel to Beijing, Chongqing and Shanghai.
"Our government is proud to support New Brunswick businesses as they look for opportunities in the fastest growing economy in the world," said Graham. "Companies in our province offer world-class products, and this mission will help them get access to new markets, create partnerships, and explore new opportunities. This trading partnership is important for New Brunswick companies, and it will be a key to achieving our goal of self-sufficiency by 2026."
The New Brunswick companies will be assisted by Atlantic Canada Business Network, which will provide consultation services and match businesses with potential markets. The company has offices in Saint John and Shenzhen.
"Each of the New Brunswick companies joining our delegation has much to gain from the opportunities that exist in China," Graham said. "China has been a growing market for New Brunswick goods, and we feel that there is still much untapped potential for increased linkages in both the business and education sectors."
The governments of New Brunswick and China have developed a strong relationship in the educational sector over the past 11 years. Currently, four schools in China offer a New Brunswick curriculum, and about 150 Chinese students spend a semester each year in New Brunswick schools. Additionally, 40 students and nine teachers attend a special summer camp in Beijing each year to learn Chinese language and culture. New Brunswick is also home to one of 225 Confucius Institutes, which provide Chinese language and cultural training.
In 2007, more than $48 million in exports were shipped from New Brunswick to China, an increase of more than $12 million from 2006. New Brunswick exported nearly $30 million in forest products, $13-million in zinc, and $3 million in seafood products.
EDITOR'S NOTE: A list of New Brunswick companies participating in the 2008 trade mission to China follows.
New Brunswick companies participating in the trade mission to China
- CanLink Aviation, Mike Tilley, CEO, and Brice Belyea, chairman (Saint John, 506-672-2265);
- Moncton Flight College, Mike Doiron, CEO and principal (Moncton, 506-857-3080);
- Belledune Port Authority, Rayburn Doucett, president and CEO (Belledune, 506-522-1200);
- AMBIR, Ian P. Cavanaugh, CEO (Saint John, 506-632-9673);
- C-Therm Technologies, Adam Harris, managing director, (Fredericton, 506-462-7203);
- Carleton International Ltd., Charles C. Matteson Jr., president (Centreville, 203-255-8828);
- Remsoft Inc., Andrea Feunekes, co-CEO (Fredericton, 506-450-1511);
- Atlantica BioEnergy Task Force, Thor Olesen, executive director (Fredericton, 506-462-4180);
- University of New Brunswick Saint John, Robert MacKinnon, vice-president (Saint John, 506-648-5854);
- Cavendish Farms Ltd., Vince Taddeo, vice-president international (Dieppe, 506-858-7777);
- Theriault and Hachey Peat Moss Ltd., Jody Williston, marketing manager (Baie-Sainte-Anne, 506-288-4530);
- J.D. Irving Ltd., Jim Jordan, vice-president (Saint John, 506-632-7777); and
- Digital Earth Geomatics, Wayne Walsh, president and CEO (Fredericton, 506-459-2893).