Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to the witnesses for your time and your presentations.
My question is for Mr. Hodgson. Canadian firms, and SMEs in particular, face an uphill struggle expanding into the emerging markets where the business culture, regulatory environment, and the language can be particularly challenging. Even with a trade agreement with the global markets action plan, the government is seeking improvements to the trade promotion and support services efforts of the trade commissioner service.
Last year, we opened four new trade offices in China that will bring Canada's trade network support to 15 locations, and a hundred trade commissioners. As well, 15 new offices in Brazil, China, India, Mongolia, Qatar, and Turkey have been opened in recent years to promote trade, and investment, and innovation with these fastest-growing markets. Relations on the ground there are of course very important in terms of who to talk to, who the decision-makers are, and how to get things done.
Mr. Hodgson, in your opinion, with the growth in value-added trade and global supply chains, how important are trade offices in emerging markets? How can we best realize the high growth potential of emerging markets?