A business delegation of the Council of the Federation, in conjunction with the Canada China Business Council (CCBC), will travel to China on Nov. 2-7. Premier Shawn Graham will lead the delegation, which will include premiers Jean Charest (Quebec), Dalton McGuinty (Ontario), Gary Doer (Manitoba), and Robert Ghiz (Prince Edward Island).
The premiers and accompanying business delegations will travel to Beijing, Chongqing and Shanghai.
“I am pleased to join four of my colleagues on this trade mission,” said Graham. “It will be an opportunity for our New Brunswick companies to build upon existing business relationships with Chinese counterparts, to open new doors, form new partnerships, and create new opportunities for export in the Chinese marketplace.”
Not many existing business relationships to build on, eh? The following is a list of all the exports to China from New Brunswick last year. Looks like Irving and a mine up north might do a little biz over there. $3 million seafood – must be the eels. That’s about. I guess the $391 in textile bag exports might warrant a visit.
It’s deja vu all over again. I remember Premier Lord leading a ‘delegation’ to Russia early in his mandate to exploit business relationships. And that business relationship building continues to reap benefits. We exported $65,000 worth of goods to Russia in 2005. Total. In 2008 that crept up to $2.3 million – hardly a strategic market.
It is possible, I guess, that the potash from NB goes over there but is accounted in someone else’s exports. Who knows? I heard that some of the furniture manufacturers are setting up manufacturing in China. Maybe those are the relationships that need exploiting.
Sure. China is the hottest market in the world and NB has got to get in on the action. Maybe but if so we need to know what action that is.
Exports to China From New Brunswick 2007
32211 – Pulp Mills $ 28,698,878
21223 – Copper, Nickel, Lead and Zinc Ore Mining $12,966,271
31171 – Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging $2,931,486
33149 – Non-Ferrous Metal (except Copper and Aluminum) Rolling, Drawing, Extruding and Alloying $2,459,922
33331 – Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing 377,070
21239 – Other Non-Metallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying 341,721
33999 – All Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing 244,508
31111 – Animal Food Manufacturing 103,000
11331 – Logging 93,417
31324 – Knit Fabric Mills 48,357
31141 – Frozen Food Manufacturing 47,322
33329 – Other Industrial Machinery Manufacturing 35,648
33261 – Spring and Wire Product Manufacturing 35,463
31212 – Breweries 28,640
11251 – Animal Aquaculture 25,750
33451 – Navigational, Measuring, Medical and Control Instruments Manufacturing 18,659
33122 – Rolling and Drawing of Purchased Steel 8,866
41819 – Other Recyclable Material Wholesaler-Distributors 4,261
31699 – Other Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing 4,029
33211 – Forging and Stamping 743
32561 – Soap and Cleaning Compound Manufacturing 675
31491 – Textile Bag and Canvas Mills 391
33243 – Metal Can, Box and Other Metal Container (Light Gauge) Manufacturing 246
31599 – Clothing Accessories and Other Clothing Manufacturing 171
33995 – Sign Manufacturing 126