Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

2015 Trade Mission to China

Minister Jeff Leal and Minister Michael Chan led a trade mission to China to introduce a new group of businesses and organizations to this priority market, promote investment in Ontario by Chinese companies and grow Ontario's agri-food exports. The 10-day mission, from April 16th to 25th, 2015, included stops in Beijing, Weifang, Shouguang, Nanjing, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

The mission is part of Ontario's Going Global Trade Strategy to help the province's businesses - particularly small- to medium- sized enterprises - expand into priority markets such as China.

Promoting increased trade and investment in Ontario's agri-food sector is part of the government's plan to meet the Premier's Agri-Food Growth Challenge. This challenge calls on Ontario's agri-food sector to double its rate of growth and create 120,000 new jobs by 2020. In 2014, the sector grew by 17,000 jobs and increased exports by $646 million.

Minister Leal speaks to more than 100 Chinese businesses at an investment forum in Beijing, April 17, 2015.

Results of the Mission

The Ministers and delegates met with more than 300 political and business leaders to discuss opportunities for Ontario and China to collaborate further and to strengthen business ties.

New Agreements

Some of the agreements signed during this mission include:

• Futurevic Global Sourcing and Shijiazhuang Junlebao Dairy Company signed a Letter of Intent to purchase $2 million worth of Ontario maple products over the next two years. This agreement will help build the overseas appetite for Ontario maple syrup and maple products, including maple butter, taffy, candy, sauces and maple sap drinks.
• Ontario's Pillitteri Estates Winery and China-based Hare Wine Company signed a $6 million agreement that will bring more Ontario Icewine to China and help meet the growing demand for this signature Ontario product. The investment from Hare Wine Company will establish a new vineyard and build a new winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
• Ontario's Vineland Estates Winery announced a new wine retailing and distribution agreement with its long-term Chinese partner, L'Huillier Wine Company. The agreement will see more than $1 million of the winery's products sold in China in the coming year.

New Export Supports for Ontario Agri-Food Companies

During the trade mission, the government announced it would help Ontario businesses and organizations expand into the Chinese market by:

• Opening a new International Marketing Centre (IMC) office in Chongqing, China, to promote investment, trade and innovation partnerships.
• Hiring an agri-food trade advisor to help the province's agri-food sector expand into the Chinese market. The new in-market trade advisor will be based in Beijing and will start on June 1, 2015. Funding for this position comes from Growing Forward 2, a federal, provincial, and territorial initiative.
• Developing a Food Export Roadmap to help Ontario agri-food businesses as they look to become export-ready and expand into international markets, following a recommendation made by the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute. The Roadmap will be available in late 2015.

Research and Innovation an Ongoing Focus

• Minister Leal spoke during the opening ceremony for the International Vegetable and Sci-Tech Fair in Shouguang, China.  More than two million visitors come to the Fair each year to see the hundreds of varieties of vegetables but also to learn about new research, production systems and technologies. It is the largest exhibition on vegetable production technologies in the world. The Minister led a trade delegation of nine Ontario companies and organizations to explore new technologies, new varieties and new market opportunities.
• Minister Leal and University of Guelph president Franco Vaccarino made a special trip to the Wuxi campus of Jiangnan University to sign a Memorandum of Understanding. Future collaborations may include student and faculty exchanges and joint research opportunities.

Importance of the Chinese Market

The Chinese market is growing rapidly and is Ontario's second largest agri-food export market. Ontario's total agri-food sales for 2014 to China, including exports to Hong Kong, reached $832 million.

Ontario exports a variety of valued-added products to China including wines, confectionery products, frozen products, shelf-stable foods, beverages and snack foods. Meat, ginseng, food-grade soybeans and genetics are also exported in significant quantities.

News

• April 27, 2015 - China Trade Mission Secures New Opportunity for Ontario Businesses
• April 24, 2015 - Ontario Creating New Guide to Help Companies Increase Exports
• April 22, 2015 - Ontario Opens New Marketing Office in Chongqing, China
• April 22, 2015 - New Trade Advisor to Improve Ontario's Access to Chinese Markets
• April 21, 2015 - 30 Year Partnership Between Ontario and Jiangsu Remains Strong
• April 20, 2015 - Ontario Expanding Wine Exports to China
• April 18, 2015 - Ontario Celebrates Beijing Hualian Group Headquarters in Toronto
• April 17, 2015 - Ontario Exporting More Maple Products to China
• April 8, 2015 - Delegation to Join Ministers on Agri-Food Trade Mission to China
• February 25, 2015 - Ontario Announces Spring Trade Mission to China

About the Delegation

The 20 businesses and organizations in the delegation showcased their expertise in a range of areas, including production, manufacturing, trade, and research and innovation.

• AUSSAN Laboratories
• Beef Farmers of Ontario
• Canada Chinese Marketing Promotion and Media
• Canada Food Import Export Inc.
• Central China Commerce Chamber, Canada
• Choy Foong
• Commisso's Fresh Foods
• Futurevic Global Sourcing
• Grandview PRC Corporation
• Hong Ying Wei Ye
• HS Nouvel Developments Inc.
• Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers
• Ontario Pork
• Pelee Island Winery
• Pillitteri Estates Winery
• Provincial Beverages of Canada
• R.D. Legault Seeds Ltd.
• Sinocan Marketing Group
• Thomas Canning (Maidstone) Ltd.
• University of Guelph

Ministers Leal and Chan meet with Guy Saint-Jacques, Canadian Ambassador to China in Beijing, China, April 17, 2015.

Ministers Leal and Chan check out Ontario VQA wines now available in China at a BHG grocery store in Beijing, China, April 18, 2015.

Minister Leal meeting with Shandong Vice Governor and Minister responsible for Agriculture, Zhao Runtian, in Weifang, Shandong, China, April 19, 2015.

Minister Leal Speaks at the Opening of the 16th Annual China International Vegetable Sci Tech Fair in Shouguang, April 20, 2015.

Minister Leal speaks with a local Chinese media outlet at the 16th Annual China International Vegetable Sci-Tech Fair, April 20, 2015.

Ministers Leal and Chan answer questions at an Ontario Investment Forum in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China, April 21, 2015.

Jiangsu government officials give Ministers Leal and Chan a tour the gardens of a government building in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China, April 21, 2015.

Minister Leal and University of Guelph President Franco Vaccarino attend a lecture at Jiangnan University in Wuxi, China, April 22, 2015.

Minister Leal with President Vaccarino and Jiangnan University officials at an MOU signing between the University of Guelph and Jiangnan University in Wuxi, China, April 22, 2015.

Ministers Leal and Chan at the Sai Wan Commonwealth War Grave Cementery in Sai Wan, Hong Kong, China, April 24, 2015.