Building on success in Florida�s hot market

Florida is hot with opportunity - the first mission in May was so successful, Team Canada Atlantic (TCA) has decided to return with another delegation of companies to the southern state again this fall.

The latest trade mission to Orlando and Miami is planned for October 29-November 2, 2006 and recruitment will begin in the coming weeks. The second trade mission will allow repeat companies to follow up on the contacts and partnerships established last month and allow new participants to establish and build on new contacts.

The Central I-4 Corridor (Tampa/Orlando/Cape Canaveral) and the Southeast (Miami-Dade/Broward/Palm Beach areas of Florida offer opportunities in the areas of advanced manufacturing, including aerospace and defence; agri-food and seafood; building and construction products; consumer products; information communications technology; life sciences; and ocean industries, including boat building.

"Increasing our exports and creating employment through trade and investment is a priority for this government. The work of the Team Canada Atlantic mission supports that priority," said Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA). "A follow-up trade mission to Florida will help the participating companies to expand their relationships and partnerships in this important market. We have an opportunity to build on the success of the first mission. It is an opportunity for growth that more Atlantic Canadian companies can capitalize on."

"Seeking new opportunities for Newfoundland and Labrador businesses and products is the principal objective of each trade mission this government supports," said Danny Williams, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador. "Florida�s bustling export environment is precisely the kind of market our companies need to target to increase their client base and export potential. Newfoundland and Labrador businesses are producing and exporting goods and services that are in demand throughout the globe, and a return mission to the Florida market will further their efforts."

TCA is a partnership of ACOA, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Industry Canada, Foreign Affairs Canada, International Trade Canada and the four Atlantic provinces. It is committed to strengthening the trade and investment relationship between Atlantic Canada and the United States.

Eleven previous trade missions - to the New England states, Atlanta, New York, Washington D.C., and Chicago - have helped 360 Atlantic Canadian entrepreneurs to meet with close to

3,000 agents and business owners from across the United States, resulting in export sales of more than $37 million.

Visit www.teamcanadaatlantic.com for more information.

For more information, contact:

2006 06 23                             11:00 a.m.