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In the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec, Colombia is viewed as an attractive supplier of new products that the Canadian market needs and wants to buy.
This is evident in PROCOLOMBIA' s invitation to the Business Matchmaking Forum to be held in Chicago on September 4 and 5. A total of 91 companies from the four Canadian provinces, interested in doing business with Colombian food, manufacturing and clothing exporters, will take part in the event.
William Ray Hart is one of them. As CEO and sales manager of Sheridan Specialties INC, the creator and distributor of unique specialty foods in southern Ontario, says that Colombia has what Canada is looking for.
" It has an advantageous climate and many natural resources. I think Colombian producers can sell us foods with exotic flavors and nutritional benefits that will benefit our consumers," he added.
He also affirmed that the Free Trade Agreement gives him confidence " because there is government support for the products to be delivered legally, securely and without delay."
The company, which also particularly sells natural and organic products to Toronto hotels and restaurants, will take advantage of its participation in PROCOLOMBIA' s Forum to find new suppliers of lettuce, spices, nuts, fish and avocados.
" Doing business with Canada means providing the highest quality products, committing to maintaining this level of quality at all times, ensuring timely shipments, and understanding the logistics and transport involved, including the shipping of perishable goods, marketing and labeling," explained Hart.
The Canadian companies include Sunco Foods, an importer and distributor for leading supermarkets of fresh produce and processed foods in western Canada and the United States ALFA Cappuccino, a specialized supplier of coffee machines and supplies, as well as raw material for the bakery industry Maison Simons, a chain of department stores with 10 clothing stores in Quebec and Alberta and PMZ International, a company specializing in the globalization of footwear brands.
There will also be 104 companies from the United States participating in the Business Matchmaking Forum. There will be a total of 234 buyers from 195 companies of both countries and 321 Colombian exporters from 220 companies. The meeting is part of a series of activities scheduled by PROCOLOMBIA in Chicago from September 3 to 5 to promote Colombia as a supplier of goods, and an investment and tourist destination.
Results of the FTA with Canada
According to Maria Claudia Lacouture, PROCOLOMBIA president, " Since the FTA took effect, Colombian companies have learned about the Canadian market, which is one of the largest importers per capita in the world. It has niches that the country can access with a trade advantage."
The figures demonstrate that. Since the Agreement took effect in August 2011, and up to May 2013, according to the information provided by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism with data from the DANE, 285 new companies from 16 departments exported to Canada for the first time, and 124 new products reached Canadian consumers.
Handkerchiefs and washcloths from Risaralda, waterproof shoes from Bogota, food supplements from Atlantico, tiles from Cundinamarca, processed pineapple, gum and gummy candies from Antioquia are just a few examples.
In agribusiness, there is the outstanding case of sugars and honeys, whose sales rose by 48.6%, reaching exports of USD 40 million compared to the period from August 2009 to May 2011.
In addition, fats and oils also stood out with exports reaching USD 932,000 representing a 100% increase during the same period.
