Mr. Speaker, this past week, November 11 to November 15, 1997, the Minister for International Trade led a very successful and ground breaking team Canada trade mission including 120 business women from across Canada, members of Parliament from Parkdale—High Park, Barrie—Simcoe—Bradford, Kitchener Centre, Senator Céline Hervieux-Payette and me to Washington in an effort to increase the number of firms led by women exporting to the lucrative U.S. market.
The three day Canadian business women's international trade mission was designed to introduce potential exporters to the U.S. market and specifically to export business opportunities and form partnerships in the the mid-Atlantic states.
Canada's exports to that region amounted to $11.5 million in 1996. The program enables Canadian participants to pursue business opportunities with U.S. firms through mentoring, networking and partnering activities. The participants attended a series of export development workshops on topics ranging from export strategies to marketing and international business financing.
Our team Canada trade missions are the type of leadership the government provides to ensure that Canada continues to prosper into the new century.