Canada and EFTA sign free trade agreement

On January 26, 2008, a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Canada and the States of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland) and bilateral Agreements on Agriculture with Iceland, Norway and Switzerland were signed.

The Canada-EFTA FTA is a “first-generation” agreement with an emphasis on tariff elimination. It does not include substantial new obligations in areas such as services, investment, and intellectual property.

The EFTA countries are significant economic partners for Canada. In 2006, two-way merchandise trade was valued at $10.7 billion (Canadian exports: $3.1 billion; imports: $7.6 billion). In addition, two-way investment stocks reached over $22 billion in 2006.

For further details contact Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada at:
consultations@international.gc.ca

Doing Business in Hong Kong

Went to an interesting talk by Mike Rowse, Director General of Invest HK at the Sheraton in Montreal today. He stressed how vibrant HK was and how it is the ideal jumping off point for people wanting to do business in SE Asia and in China. He also stressed that any company ignoring the ever increasing importance of China would do so at their peril.

Anyone wanting to explore the benefits of expanding their business in Hong Kong, and perhaps eventually into China, can get a lot of help and information from Invest HK And of course, GSP insights would be delighted to assist in your Hong Kong venture in any way they can. This is a part of the world we know well and where we have many business contacts.