A desire to explore new markets and do business in Latin America and will take several creative industry representatives to Mexico, Colombia and Argentina

OTTAWA, Nov. 19, 2018 /CNW/ - To create jobs, foster economic growth and remain competitive, our government is committed to helping Canadian creators and creative entrepreneurs explore and take advantage of business opportunities in key global markets.

Canadian Heritage will lead a creative industries trade mission to Latin America from February 10 to 19, 2019. The delegation will be composed of experienced, export-ready businesspeople from different sectors of the creative industries—including music, film, television, visual effects, animation, video games, museums, publishing and the performing arts.

In April 2018, nearly 60 entrepreneurs participated in Canada's trade mission to China, which resulted in the signature of commercial agreements worth more than $125 million.

This year's focus is on Latin America, another key market for cultural export. With the Department's support, delegates will head to Mexico, Colombia and Argentina to broaden their export horizons and ambitions in Latin America.

The entrepreneurs selected to take part in the mission will be able to explore potential business opportunities in those three countries and build a network of key buyers, suppliers and contacts.

The purpose of the mission is to strengthen Canada's commercial, cultural and diplomatic relations with Latin America through activities that include a business matching program, information sessions and networking events. Delegates will be able to meet with economic and governmental decision makers, take advantage of exceptional networking opportunities with potential partners, and learn about Latin America's culture and business ecosystem.

The trade mission will also be an opportunity to increase the visibility and profile of Canadian companies already established in the Latin American market, and strengthen existing networks and partnerships.

This initiative is part of the Creative Export Strategy, a $125-million, five-year investment to promote Canadian creative industries by encouraging the discovery and distribution of their creative content abroad. It also meets a demand from Canadian businesses and creative organizations to equip Canadian exporters with the tools and mechanisms they need to export their projects successfully.

Entrepreneurs interested in joining the trade mission delegation are invited to fill out the application form (PDF) available on our webpage, and sending it to Email Contact no later than November 30, 2018.

Quotes

"This mission is a unique opportunity to keep growing the export potential of our Canadian creative industries in Latin America, and to allow participants to build on their market development initiatives in this part of the world. Our goal is to enable Canadian creators and cultural entrepreneurs to improve their competitive position on the international stage by accessing new markets, creating new jobs and increasing their returns."

—The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism

Quick Facts

The arts and culture sector provides jobs to more than 650,000 Canadians, in addition to the numerous indirect jobs created by cultural products. It contributes 2.8 percent to Canada's GDP.

In 2016, Canadian culture product exports totalled $16 billion. This represents 2.5 percent of all Canadian exports.

In terms of overall bilateral trade, Mexico is Canada's third largest trading partner after the United States and China. Bilateral merchandise trade reached more than $43.3 billion in 2017. In 2016, Canada exported $236.7 million in cultural goods and services to Mexico, while importing $575.6 million worth.

Colombia is Canada's fifth largest bilateral trading partner in Latin America and the Caribbean (excluding Mexico). In 2017, bilateral merchandise trade reached $1.73 billion. In addition, Colombia was Canada's third largest export market in South America in 2017 (after Brazil and Chile), with total merchandise exports of $745.8 million.

Argentina is the second largest economy in South America and a high-potential market for Canadian companies. Bilateral trade totaled $2.2 billion in 2017, up 17.6 percent from 2016. Canadian exports to Argentina reached $445.7 million in 2017.

Associated Links

Canada's Creative Export Strategy
Creative industries trade missions, events and partnerships
Canada–Argentina Relations
Canada–Mexico Relations 
Canada–Colombia Relations 

SOURCE Canadian Heritage