Thank you, Chair.
I want to start by welcoming all of our witnesses and thanking them for taking time out of their busy schedules to come and share their thoughts with us today.
As those of us in this room are aware, Canada's more than one million small and medium-sized businesses are among the most competitive in the world, employing more than two-thirds of all private sector employees and accounting for more than half of Canada's gross domestic product. Our government's trade agenda is extremely ambitious and will shape our global trade patterns for decades. But our assistance for SMEs goes beyond lifting trade barriers to a full range of trade promotion tools available through Export Development Canada, the Business Development Bank of Canada, and the Canadian Commercial Corporation. Our goal is to help Canadian SMEs make the leap to exporting and increase their presence in the international market.
Mr. Addante and Mr. Yu, Caboo Paper Products has been able to capitalize on the growing public interest in tree-free paper. Using bamboo and sugar cane you are able to provide a rapidly renewable and environmentally friendly source of fibre for your household products. I see on your company's Facebook page that your products are available not just in Canada but also in the United States, Australia, and even in the United Arab Emirates. Was there a conscious effort to expand your business to international markets? If so, how important was this strategy in making the transition to international markets? What sorts of obstacles have you encountered when attempting to sell your products in foreign markets?