Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I would like to thank all the witnesses who appeared today. Your comments were very interesting, especially those of the Chambre de commerce de l'Est de Montréal, which I found to be positive and invigorating.
Ms. Fréchette, you have a clear and precise view of the situation. You are already know that exporting is extremely important, especially since you told me that the Montreal Port Authority is a member of your organization.
In 2018, there was a 9% increase in traffic at the Port of Montreal, a direct result of agreements we signed in previous years, and in particular the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement, or CETA. In total, Canada signed 14 agreements with 51 countries representing 62% of the global economy. Our markets are now open to 1.5 billion new customers, a fact you are surely aware of.
You spoke about the fact that the government could be more effective and that it could increase its presence on the ground. You also invited the government to refer SMEs to your services and to participate in joint activities. By the way, you can call me as I am always available.
Only 12% of our small businesses are exporters. We must grow that number. I have three questions for you. First, Mrs. Fréchette and Mrs. Mandelbaum, do our department's services provide enough assistance to small businesses that wish to export? Next, could you give us specific examples of small businesses that have received assistance from our government in your region? Finally, what barriers do small and new businesses face when they are considering exporting?