I would suggest that for those that are at a larger scale, as you pointed out, and that have the in-house resources, sure.
One thing that I've observed happening—and I don't know if this is unique to Atlantic Canada, but I know that it is something we promote heavily—is there seems to be a bit more of a collaborative approach here between companies.
There are some smaller SMEs, even with 10 employees or under 200 employees, that are getting some mentorship from some of the larger, more successful companies in the market. We've been an advocate to say that if there is training going on....
Cooke's a great example. They provide ongoing access. They make appearances at conferences. Their executives talk about their experiences in key markets. Those are absolutely critical to helping the other companies along.
For the bulk of companies, I would suggest there is still a low level of awareness. It's not about that TPP is out there and it's being negotiated; it's about what the market opportunities are on a country-by-country basis, and on a product-by-product basis, for what they have to offer, or what they should be offering in those markets. What's the export continuum to help them get there in terms of staffing and market intelligence? How do they work with the trade commissioner service once they're there or to get there?
Another key point that has been brought up to me from companies is that at one point in time Canada did have a large emphasis on foreign trade missions to support some of the markets. Those have seemed to be less Canada led and more province led, which I think is great, but it was always powerful to see the Government of Canada going into a market. Look at the recent results from Prime Minister Trudeau's trip to China. There was a company in Fredericton that participated in that. It was a tremendous opportunity for exposure, connectivity, and new relationships.