About TFO Canada : Our Services
About Us
Trade Facilitation Office Canada (TFO Canada) was founded in 1980 by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) following a decision of the Canadian government to establish an office “to assist developing countries to export to the Canadian market.”
More than 25 years later, TFO Canada , operating as a not-for-profit corporation, has become the primary provider of information on and linkages to the Canadian import market and a source of training for exporting and for investment attraction for developing and transition economy countries. Importers benefit by learning about sourcing alternatives.
TFO Canada provides:
Canadian Market Information Services
Through its freely accessible web-based services, TFO Canada meets the export information and market intelligence needs of developing country SMEs interested in accessing the Canadian market. In addition, on a fee or project basis, TFO Canada delivers trade information seminars, conducts trade missions and provides customised market development consulting services for developing country exporters looking to expand into Canada.
The online service also facilitates linkages between developing country exporters and Canadian importers by providing a web-accessible database of developing country export offers and an electronic newsletter for importers containing sourcing information and information related to international trade.
Trade Readiness Capacity Building Services
TFO Canada provides training and implements trade development projects in conjunction with local partners in order to develop the exporting know-how and capacity of developing country exporters and trade support organizations in areas such as exporter training, trade information portals, technical regulations, packaging, product adaptation, and in government-led export promotion and investment attraction.
In partnership with the International Trade Centre (UN/WTO, Geneva), TFO Canada is also implementing the Programme for building African Capacity in Trade (PACT), a five-year trade readiness capacity building programme funded by CIDA’s Canada Fund for Africa.
TFO Canada’s Canadian Market Access Services
TFO Canada’s freely accessible web-based Canadian market access services are funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Other services are typically funded on a project basis by the partner organizations, the participating companies and/or international donors. In all cases, TFO Canada works in close collaboration with local partners.
1. Web-based services for Exporters – TFO Canada provides general and sector-specific information, advice and links to government agencies and to developing country exporters researching or implementing a market-entry strategy to export their products or services to Canada. This includes the opportunity for the exporter to publicise their export offers to our database of over 1,200 Canadian importers, on a sector-specific basis.
2. Web-based services for Canadian importers – To complement and sustain our services for developing country exporters, TFO Canada provides an information service for Canadian importers interested in sourcing products from developing and emerging economies. This includes practical advice on sourcing from developing country exporters, a searchable database for sourcing new products or suppliers, and a customised news bulletin.
3. Exporting to Canada Seminars – These seminars are designed to introduce managers of small and medium-sized companies with some export experience to the opportunities of the Canadian market and to transfer practical knowledge of the elements for successful exporting to Canada.
4. Exporter Missions – These trade missions normally develop from the Exporting to Canada Seminars. The objective of these missions to Canada is to introduce would-be exporters to experienced buyers or distributors. In the short term, it is a continuation of the learning process for the exporter; in the long term, this resulting linkage may lead to eventual sales.
5. Importer Missions – The objective of this activity is also to facilitate linkages between sellers and buyers. Instead of exporters visiting Canada, TFO Canada also organizes trade missions made up of Canadian buyers and importers to visit client countries.
6. Individual Company Consulting – TFO Canada through its network of Canadian market development experts and in-house expertise offers tailor-made consulting services to assist individual SMEs from developing countries prepare to enter the Canadian market.
TFO Canada’s Trade Readiness Capacity Building Services
TFO Canada’s services are designed to enhance the capabilities of exporters and trade support organizations in developing and transition economy countries. These activities are, in most cases, delivered in-country by working in close collaboration with a local partner organization. Most of these services are designed to be delivered with a train-the-trainer approach to ensure sustainability. Funding is provided by domestic and international development agencies, including CIDA, by client country governments and/or by participating companies/organizations.
1. Exporter Training – This workshop is directed to novice or inexperienced exporters and is designed to prepare firms to become export-ready by addressing what it takes to succeed in the international marketplace. Participants learn practical planning techniques and, in particular, how to produce an export plan for the firm.
2. Businesswomen Exporter Training, Mentoring and Information Program – Building on our Exporter Training services and work that we have done in Africa for the PACT-ACCESS! Programme, TFO Canada provides a trade support programme that strengthens the access for existing and emerging women exporters to trade training and related mentoring and trade information services. These programmes are implemented in conjunction with a local business support institution in partnership with local trainers.
3. Web-based Trade Information Portals – TFO Canada has experience working with trade support organizations to develop web-based trade portal systems. These systems become the vehicles to bring a wide variety of information from multiple sources to the institution’s members/clients and act as a virtual showroom of exportable products.
4. Packaging Workshops – The two components of TFO Canada’s programs in this area are designed to create awareness about the role packaging can play in exporting, and to build technical capacity and know-how within the domestic packaging and design industries.
5. Product Adaptation Workshops – Within a number of sectors, TFO Canada provides workshops and one-on-one consulting services to assist exporters with the identification of customer requirements and the specific adaptation and/or quality adjustments needed to succeed in international markets.
6. Technical Regulations – To take advantage of market opportunities, it is essential that exported products meet technical standards and regulations required in the international marketplace. TFO Canada is able to work with exporters and trade support organizations to make them aware of these standards and help them adapt to them.
7. Investment Attraction Techniques – The objective of this workshop to prepare officers at a foreign mission or headquarters for planning, organizing and carrying out an effective FDI attraction program. The material focuses on the three ‘pillars’ of FDI promotion: advocacy; corporate outcalls; and servicing potential and present investors.
8. Workshop for Trade Support Organizations – The purpose of this workshop is to introduce TFO Canada’s CD-ROM based training and information program, and to provide international examples of “best practises” in trade support programs and services to benefit client exporters.
9. Training for Government Foreign Service Officers – This program presents a training course and in-depth, on-the-job manual designed to prepare government Foreign Service officers to carry out commercial responsibilities during foreign assignments.
In addition to the above, TFO Canada can provide advice and training in areas such as:
- Trade Policy Development;
- Trade Opportunities Processing Systems;
- International Business Strategies;
- Financing Exports.