Thank you very much.
I will start by perhaps noting that when we look at new markets, it really is what we would call non-traditional markets, which means largely outside of North America.
At EDC, in the past three years, we've doubled our office network in Asia, as an example. The Asia-Pacific region has seen approximately 30% growth in EDC support of Canadian exports in just the last two years. Perhaps to tie it back to an earlier question, this is, again, across all segments, so small and medium-sized companies are absolutely included in that number. Actually, they are the majority of those companies now successfully exporting into Asia.
The next region of real focus for us is Europe. This is in direct reaction to guidance from the Minister for International Trade to broaden activities in that market. EDC will open three new representations in Europe this year, in 2026, to be on the ground to help additional Canadian companies, exporters and investors. We are looking at establishing a fully operational branch to help lend and to ensure that Canadian companies are successfully supported in achieving the opportunities they have in Europe.
The last point would be that this is all done in partnership. We are very closely linked to our colleagues at BDC. I know you've heard from CCC and Invest in Canada, as well, and the trade commissioner service. This works when the team Canada effect really comes together to allow us to leverage our own unique strengths. That's a very important part of the success we'll see going forward.
