Austrade Outlines Strategies for Export Success in Canada

Businesses across Australia have the opportunity to learn about the export opportunities in Canada and how to increase their competitive edge at free seminars conducted by Austrade from 5-14 May. Austrade’s seminar series entitled Setting Up Business in Canada 2008 - which commences in Melbourne before moving on to Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane and Sydney - has already attracted more than 140 businesses nationally.
Attendees will hear timely advice from Austrade’s Vancouver-based Post Manager, Kevin Lamb, Rick McElrea, Consul and Senior Investment Manager at the Canadian Consulate General Sydney as well as Canadian experts from Miller Thompson Barristers and Solicitors, Wolrige Mahon LLP Chartered Accountants and Wolrige Mahon Business and Financial Advisers.
“The purpose of this seminar series is to provide practical advice and increase awareness of the tremendous linkages and consequent business opportunities between Australia and Canada,” Mr Lamb said.

“Canada is a natural market for Australian companies, as no two countries are more similar in culture, business, government structure and policies,” he said.

Canada also ranks first among the G7 (Group of Seven) nations for ease in establishing a business, with over 100 of the 2,000 Australian companies currently exporting to Canada already holding established business premises.

While Canada’s GST is a five per cent value added tax, similar to Australia, and non-resident companies may be taxed in Canada, a tax treaty between both countries prevents double taxation.

“Canada offers Australian exporters a ’step-up’ market - much larger than our domestic market - access to an incrementally larger consumer base of over 32 million service industries, but not as huge as the US market, which means it is more manageable,”
Mr Lamb said.

“It is also a great ‘training market’ in preparation for the United States and is increasingly recognized as an excellent base from which to access the 440 million consumers in the North American market,” he said.

“In Vancouver alone, we have seen a three-fold increase in Australian companies with offices in the city over the past four years, and there are now over 30 companies operating in Vancouver cutting across all industry sectors. Similar increases have also been experienced in Calgary and Toronto,” Mr Lamb said.

For the 2007 financial year Australian merchandise exports to Canada totaled more than $1.7billion, with wine one of our biggest exports, and exports of services totaled $730 million,” he said.

Austrade has a network devoted to the Canadian market, providing extensive support for Australian exporters with specialist industry teams located across its major cities, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal and Calgary, and a dedicated network of Canadian Export Advisers around Australia.

Austrade’s nationwide seminar series, Setting Up Business in Canada 2008, will be held in Melbourne, 5 May; Adelaide 7 May; Perth 9 May; Brisbane 12 May and Sydney 14 May.
The seminar series is sponsored by relevant State Governments and supported by the Consulate General of Canada, as well as Canadian-based firms Miller Thompson Barristers and Solicitors and Wolrige Mahon.

Source: Austrade

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