Egyptian companies to be briefed on exporting to Canada

CAIRO – 10 December 2017: A new program to breif small and medium Egyptian companies to export to Canada has been launched, Alaa El-Bially, Consul of Egypt Economic and Commercial Affairs in Montreal, Canada said Sunday.

He said that the program is financed by a Canadian grant and will involve bringing a Canadian expert to explain to Egyptian companies the requirements of exporting to Canada.

It will also select 10 Egyptian companies, out of 25 nominated by the Food Export Council, to participate in SIAL Canada exhibition, the international food and beverage tradeshow that will be held in May 2018.

Bially said that the Egyptian commercial office, in cooperation with the Canadian side, will arrange a number of bilateral meetings between the Egyptian companies participating in the exhibition and major Canadian retailers to negotiate export deals.

In a seminar on Sunday, Canadian Ambassador to Egypt Jess Dutton said that the program is financed, in its first phase, by $120,000.

He added that his country wants to increase cooperation with the Egyptian business society, especially the small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurial projects.

Bially said that the program will be expanded to include most export sectors as the Candian market is an important one that possesses big export opportunities.

He said that Canada’s annual imports of food amount to some $31 billion, to which Egypt contributes by only $9.4 million.

Other products and sectors that can boost its exports to Canada are carpets and readymade garments, Bially said.

He added that Egypt’s commercial office in Canada is working on opening the Canadian market to Egyptian grapes, saying that a delegation of big Egyptian grapes exporting companies will be visiting Canada in February next year.

Canada is considered one of the biggest markets importing grapes, with imports standing at $650 million last year, Bially said.