Released on September 21, 2020
New Offices To Help Increase Saskatchewan Exports And Attract Investment
The Government of Saskatchewan continues to work toward opening three new international trade and investment offices in Japan, India and Singapore in early 2021. The offices will be co-located with existing Government of Canada offices and the staffing process is underway.
“Saskatchewan has shown tremendous resilience in our economic recovery from COVID-19 due, in part, to the strong demand for the products we provide to the world and increasing our international presence will help to build on this momentum,” Trade and Export Development Minister Jeremy Harrison said. “These offices will play a critical role as we continue working to bring Saskatchewan to the world and to bring the world to Saskatchewan.”
Establishing a Saskatchewan presence is expected to allow the Government of Saskatchewan to diversify markets and facilitate connections between Saskatchewan businesses and buyers in these key markets and the broader regions.
Additionally, the offices will work toward encouraging greater foreign direct investment in Saskatchewan. Developing and maintaining ongoing relationships in these markets is important to facilitating business partnerships.
Having Saskatchewan officials on the ground in-market will provide an advantage to exporters in making connections and understanding the business and regulatory environment in these markets. The offices will also provide information on trade and investment opportunities in Saskatchewan, assist with investment and trade mission planning for incoming delegations and connect Saskatchewan businesses with buyers in Asia.
The India office will be located in New Delhi and the Japan office will be located in Tokyo. The Singapore office will also act as a "hub" location for the ASEAN region (Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Myanmar (Burma), Cambodia, Laos). In addition to offices in China, India, Japan and Singapore, the provincial government will consider further opportunities for offices and an increased presence in other international markets in the future.
As increased trade is a key priority of the Saskatchewan Growth Plan, the Government of Saskatchewan has also extended the current agreement with the Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership Inc. (STEP) to March 31, 2021. With a focus on promoting export opportunities, strengthening existing trade relationships, engaging new international markets, and diversifying the province’s trade base, STEP is a key partner in providing trade development services to support Saskatchewan businesses.
The Government of Saskatchewan provides STEP with approximately 80 per cent of their funding.
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For more information, contact:
Robin Speer
Trade and Export Development
Regina
Phone: 306-519-5006
Email: robin.speer@gov.sk.ca