Small Businesses Are Big International Traders

(Northern Ontario Business)

A new report by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business states small business owners make up a significant chunk of Canada’s exports. The report entitled: Trade Without Borders: A small business report card on the Canada/US border, involved a membership survey that produced 6,000 answers.

Corinne Pohlmann, CFIB’s vice-president of national affairs, said companies with less than 50 employees represent 73% of all businesses that export and account for nearly one third of the total value of Canadian exports.

Pohlmann added “despite the large contribution of small exporters, the SME sector is usually an afterthought when discussing trade and border issues. Given the important role that SMEs play in the economy, lawmakers on both sides of the border should take careful note of these findings.”

CFIB presented their findings at the Canadian Association of Importers and Exporters in Toronto, April 20. Canada Border Services Agency was also to present on Business Simplification and Service Improvements at the Canadian border.

The complete report is on the CFIB website here.