In the consultations that led up to our formulating the new global markets action plan, we were able to consult with virtually every industry association across Canada. We were able to consult directly with companies that had expressed an interest in exporting, that are presently exporting, and with some that haven't yet exported. It very quickly became apparent that Canada's resources were being spread too thin. We needed to prioritize and we did that in two key areas.
First, we prioritized the markets that matter the most to Canada. If we are expecting to be engaged fully in every country in the world, we just don't have the resources to do that and we won't achieve success. So we've narrowed down the number of countries on our list of priorities. Typically, they are countries in which Canadian companies have already experienced success; countries whose economies are emerging, that are growing rapidly; or they may be countries to which we haven't had access but represent large markets, like the European Union. We have now negotiated an agreement that for the first time will provide real access to Canadian companies that so far have been shut out of that market.
We have done the same thing also in terms of the industry sectors. We want to make sure that we focus on the sectors in which Canada has real strength. We've limited that number to 22 key sectors, and that's where trade promotion activities will be focused.