Doing business in the European Union

• Export Development Canada (EDC) provides a wide range of financial and knowledge support for Canadian companies doing business abroad:
• The Country Information page offers free economic and political research for numerous overseas markets. It provides country-specific information, including the top sectors in the target country, the dollar value of Canada’s exports to that country, and more. You can also obtain matchmaking insights via the list of countries with which Canada has trade relationships.
• EDC’s Market Entry Advisors can connect you to in-country experts who can help you navigate the local business environment, obtain up-to-date market intelligence and start building networks in your EU market of interest.
• EDC’s web site also provides a wide selection of guides, articles and other trade-related material, including government programs and trade solutions. You can also sign up for EDC’s newsletters, or go to TradeInsights if you’re looking for specific resources. Many publications are regularly updated, including the Global Export Forecast and the Country Risk Quarterly.
• You can meet global customers through EDC’s Connections Program. The program is designed to help you connect with international supply chain opportunities, expand your network into target markets and reduce your business development costs.

The Canadian Trade Commissioner Service (TCS) has teams in all the EU countries, as well as offices across Canada. It provides a range of services free of charge to companies that show a capacity for internationalization. If your company can demonstrate a firm commitment to international trade, the TCS can provide extensive support for your international business. Trade Commissioners can help you:

• Determine if you are internationally competitive, decide on a target market and collect market and industry information
• Determine the level of opportunity that exists in a particular market, together with suitable approaches to the market
• Learn about barriers and regulations associated with entering a market
• Learn about issues such as market access, customs, logistics and contracts
• Gain insight into the competitive landscape of a market and its emerging opportunities and trends
• Learn about business and cultural practices and market entry strategies
• Gain access to foreign governments and key business leaders
• Meet with potential customers, distributors, sources of finance or investment, technology partners and intermediaries

Your regional TCS office in Canada should be among your first stops when starting your market research. Later, at the appropriate stage of your export preparation, the Canadian office can refer you to the TCS office in your potential overseas market.

The EU itself can provide extensive information about trade opportunities within its member countries.

• EU Business furnishes information on the member and candidate countries of the EU, covering politics, law and economics. It has statistical databases, tendering data, funding sources and much more.
• The European Union web site provides overviews of each EU member country, as well as information on the EU.
• Eurostat provides a vast range of socioeconomic, industrial and technological statistics about the EU.
• The EU Trade Helpdesk, geared specifically to non-EU companies wishing to do business in the EU, is a one-stop gateway for information ranging from trade statistics to rules of origin.
• The UK’s Department of International Trade publishes short exporter guides for all EU countries. Although written from a UK perspective, much of the market and investor information may be useful to Canadian businesses as well.