REGINA – A joint industry and government trade agency, announced in the Saskatchewan budget earlier this year, was officially launched Aug. 21.
The Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership is a non-profit corporation designed to increase the province’s exports to existing markets and to tap into new ones.
Saskatchewan exported about $16 billion worth of goods last year, mostly commodities like wheat and potash. One out of every three jobs results from trade, and 60 percent of the province’s gross domestic product in 1995 came from exports, said officials at the launch.
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Economic development minister Dwain Lingenfelter said one of STEP’s goals is to increase trade of non-traditional products, which totaled $2 billion last year.
Lingenfelter said increasing non-traditional trade by 10 percent each year is “achievable in the long run year after year if we have this kind of organization working and working properly.”
STEP is run by a 15-member board of directors, headed by former Saskatchewan Wheat Pool chief executive officer Milt Fair. Twelve of the members are industry representatives and three are from government.
“The board has challenged STEP staff to find sales, projects and contracts which industry can develop,” Fair said. “This will involve developing our networks and expanding our contacts to achieve the desired results.”
Services offered
Specific services provided by STEP include:
- Information and advice on products, markets, promotion, education and export financing.
- Networking.
- Assistance with partnerships and joint ventures.
- Opportunities to participate in trade missions and meet with incoming buyers.
The partnership will receive $2 million, or 90 percent, of its initial funding from the province. The rest will come from membership fees and fees for service. Lingenfelter said he hopes industry will eventually cover 30 percent of the cost.
Memberships are based on volume of sales and the size of the company, and range from $100 to $3,000.
