Trade mission laying foundation for closer ties

A delegation of business executives from the Canadian Province of Prince Edward Island (PEI) has completed a trade mission to Barbados and in the process laid the groundwork for more trade  with Barbados.

 

Ms. Amber Mackereth, one of the mission members, expressed satisfaction with the outcome. She said that the success stemmed from the foundation they had laid out having been in Barbados on previous occasions.

 

The delegation, representing ten companies, was in Bridgetown between April 17-22, 2016. The members also visited other Caribbean islands.

 

“This is the eighth consecutive mission to the region and we have a mix of delegates who are new to the market,” she said. 

 

“So we are building upon existing relationships we already have,” she said. 

 

She continued: “I think the real results are yet to come but we talked about the number of meetings and number of companies but I think that is nothing in comparison to the number of contracts that we have signed. So again it is critical for the relationships to continue to build. The success we are now seeing are the results of the cumulative efforts for a number of years.”

 

The companies covered expertise in the areas of agriculture, education and training, information and communications technology, professional services, medical safety and industrial protective garments, and renewable energy.

 

Marc Parisien, Senior Trade Commissioner at the High Commission of Canada to Barbados, said that over the past several years, PEI has been very active in building a successful and globally competitive environment for its businesses, focussing on the well-being of its citizens.

 

“Working together with Barbados, one of its most important international business partners, and other Caribbean jurisdictions, the province offers to the region products, services and know how relevant to the island’s environment while giving access to global markets,” he added.