Innovation, Trade and Rural Development
April 28, 2009

The following statement was issued by the Honourable Shawn Skinner, Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development. It was also read in the House of Assembly:

Province Readying for International Conference

I rise in this Honourable House today to report on a significant, highly-anticipated trade initiative.

From July 26-28, 2009, Newfoundland and Labrador is set to host the second annual Southeastern United States � Canadian Provinces Alliance conference. Excitement levels are building among businesses in Newfoundland and Labrador and among our American and Canadian partners that include Mississippi, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

From a local perspective, the conference will place Newfoundland and Labrador�s small and medium-sized businesses, industry associations, and academic institutions �front and centre� as they explore valuable business partnerships and export opportunities with Canadian and American business and government leaders.

Trade has long been an essential component of our provincial economy.

In today�s shifting global economy, the value of trade has never been greater placing significant emphasis on initiatives of this nature. To cultivate real opportunities for prosperity and growth it is important for jurisdictions to come together to explore and form mutually-beneficial relationships.

The SEUS//Canadian Provinces Alliance Conference is an exceptional venue for fostering business-to-business networking.

I believe that it is this personal approach to business relations - the face-to-face communication between conference members - that leads to real results.

Ties between Newfoundland and Labrador and the Southeastern United States continue to draw closer.

In 2008, $228 million worth of our world-class products and services were exported to the Southeastern United States. Heavily impacted by a growing market for our natural resources, this represented an increase of 80 per cent over the previous year, representing the highest growth rate among the Canadian Alliance members.

Organizations like the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University and the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Technology Industries, as well as local ocean technology companies are already forging strategic alliances with their counterparts from the SEUS region.

This year�s conference will build on these successes and focus on key sectors including energy, ocean technology, and advanced manufacturing.

These sectors represent areas where Newfoundland and Labrador has significant expertise and where real value can be attained as we link our firms with those from other parts of Canada and the Southeastern United States.

As Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development, I encourage our business leaders, industry associations, academic institutions, and government officials to become involved in this worthwhile event that promises to provide considerable opportunities for trading partnerships and business growth.

2009 04 28                         1:55 p.m.