Boost for Ontario SMEs in China

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ontario that lack the manpower and connections to go to China received practical guidance on formulating a China strategy at a workshop held March 7 in Hamilton, Ontario.

The workshop, co-organized by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO), the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the Hong Kong-Canada Business Association (HKCBA) and the Flamborough Chamber of Commerce, offered Ontario SMEs a “smart link solution” to chart their Chinese business strategy and workable ways and means of selling their products, technology and know-how to China. 

As SMEs account for 80% of the companies in Ontario, the seminar introduced services provided by the “Hong Kong Family” to help these companies to gain fast access to China. Despite having good products and technologies, these companies often lack the means to expand their business to China. The “Hong Kong Family”, including the HKETO, HKTDC and HKCBA, offers business intelligence, business matching and trade missions.

Speaking at the workshop, the HKETO Director Mr Bassanio So said, “Hong Kong is a SME heaven. Over 98% of companies in Hong Kong are SMEs. They have the knowledge to deal with China and work with other fellow SMEs from all around the world.”

Mr. So further pointed out that, “There are over 250,000 Canadian passport holders in Hong Kong. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong is the largest in Asia. They have the necessary expertise to deal with Canadians,” he said.

The seminar is part of an outreach program presented by the “Hong Kong Family”, itself an outcome of a collaboration HKETO formed with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) last November. The partnership enables members of OCC, Canada’s largest provincial trade organization representing over 57,000 businesses through 160 local chambers of commerce and boards of trade, to better leverage the vast opportunities in the Asia Pacific region through the Hong Kong Family.

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