Similar to international free trade agreements such as the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement on Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), workers, businesses, and investors can leverage many opportunities under domestic free trade agreements. These domestic trade agreements go beyond what is covered in Canada’s international free trade agreements – for example, domestic trade agreements’ coverage of labour mobility also address credential recognition for regulated occupations. Domestic trade agreements cover trade, investment, and labour mobilit... continue reading

British Columbia’s (B.C.) temperate climate, cosmopolitan cities, and clean environment provide a quality of life that draws people from around the world. With a trend of urbanization, comes the challenge of resource management and service delivery. Many British Columbia cities have stepped up to use smart technologies to find efficiency and improve the lives of their citizens.   City of Vancouver   As a leader of smart cities in British Columbia, the City of Vancouver has lofty goals of digitally transforming the city by using data and connected technology to address local issues. It created VanConnect, a mob... continue reading

Located on Canada’s Pacific Coast, British Columbia (B.C.) is home to prime fishing grounds, world-famous salmon rearing rivers, cool pristine oceans, and internationally respected fish processing facilities. Consumers world-wide are reaching for B.C. seafood because of its taste, food safety, traceability, and sustainability.<!--[endif]---->B.C.’s seafood sector is diverse with more than 100 species of commercial fish, shellfish and marine plants harvested from our oceans and fresh waters and exported to more than 70 international markets. Ukraine is B.C.’s fifth-largest market after the United States, China, J... continue reading

British Columbia (B.C.) wineries win awards at national and international wine competitions each year. In 2019, they won more than 1,000 medals.  British Columbia wineries won their first International Wine & Spirit Competition Avery Trophy in the 1990s for Best Chardonnay in the World.  In just three decades, B.C.'s vibrant wines have burst onto the global wine scene, establishing a reputation for excellence and producing beautifully crafted wines, each reflecting the unique character of the province's distinct and ideal growing regions. B.C. Wine Country is rich with spectacular, diverse, and ex... continue reading

Supporting trade and investment in BC From supporting trade for British Columbia (B.C.) agrifood, forestry, and mining producers' interests, to assisting with the procurement of firefighter axes or negotiating new trade rules for today’s modern economy, the Trade Policy and Negotiations team (TPN) at Trade and Invest BC does a lot to support B.C. businesses. TPN works behind the scenes to advance and defend B.C.’s interests in disputes and trade negotiations in domestic and international markets. TPN helps inform B.C. businesses on how to use free trade agreements (FTAs) to benefit their business and assists in r... continue reading

Three trillion dollars is a large number. A figure of that magnitude is difficult to visualize, but it represents the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the South American trading bloc and customs union known as Mercosur. With its massive GDP and a population of roughly 295 million inhabitants, Mercosur is the fifth largest economy in the world. As it turns out, Canada is negotiating a free trade agreement (FTA) with the Mercosur trading bloc that will provide numerous economic benefits to B.C. businesses. Mercosur, the Spanish abbreviation for Southern Common Market, includes four partner countries: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, an... continue reading

Four hundred and ninety-five million consumers and a combined GDP of over US$24 trillion makes North America one of the world’s largest economies. Because of this, the United States (U.S.) and Mexico are ideal locations for trade and investment, and the now year-old Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) gives British Columbia (B.C.) businesses an added competitive edge when expanding into these markets. Free trade agreements (FTAs) such as the CUSMA reduce trade barriers within the North American market, providing an array of opportunities to expand your business. Before we explore the benefits of this ag... continue reading

The future of agriculture is focused on creating food for a growing global population with fewer resources, a lower carbon footprint, and less physical labour. What does this future look like? It will be a thriving agritech industry filled with innovation such as mushroom-picking robots and QR codes showing the origins of the steak on a dinner plate.   British Columbia (B.C.) has a world class reputation for quality agriculture and seafood products, and it is a natural fit that agritech is an emerging industry in the province. Farming and fishing have been an integral part of B.C.’s economy, and technology has propell... continue reading

Not only is the European Union (EU) the second-largest economy in the world, it also contains a population of roughly 450 million consumers. An economy of this magnitude presents British Columbia (B.C.) companies with immense international business opportunities, but did you know that there are ways to make your B.C. business even more competitive when engaging with the European market? The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the EU allows your B.C. business to gain preferential market access to the European market. This agreement gives B.C. businesses a competitive edge over international compet... continue reading

Have you ever considered the benefits of expanding your business and reaching customers within international markets? Did you know that the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) could help your B.C. business access international markets with over 460 million potential purchasing customers? These are questions worth asking, and we are here to help your business take full advantage of Canada’s trade agreements and export opportunities. British Columbia’s Pacific Coast location presents easy global access and opportunities to connect your business to the Asia-Pacific markets. Brit... continue reading