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CETA (Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement) is a new trade agreement between the EU and Canada. It makes it easier to export goods and services, benefitting people and businesses in both the EU and Canada. On 21 September 2017 CETA entered into force provisionally. As such most of the agreement now applies.

Expandeers is a personal global network of senior business development professionals for midsize companies willing to expand to foreign countries. Our local partner in Canada, George, states the importance of CETA and the implications for any business in EU and/or Canada.

Some facts:

- The value of trade in goods between the EU and Canada equaled €64.3 billion in 2016.

- The EU is Canada's second-biggest trading partner after the United States, accounting for 9.6 % of its trade in 2016.

- Canada accounted for almost 2 % of the EU's total external trade in 2016.

- The top three categories of products which the EU and Canada exported to each other in 2016 were:

• Machinery (23.6 % of EU exports to Canada and 13.7 % of its imports)
• Transport equipment (18.7 % of EU exports and 11.4 % of its imports)
• Chemical and pharmaceutical products (16.7 % of EU exports and 7.5 % of its imports)

- Trade in services between the two amounted to €30.1 billion in 2015.

- The EU exported €5.1 billion more to Canada than it imported.

- Examples of services exported between Canada and the EU are transport, travel, insurance and communication.

-79% of EU companies exporting to Canada are Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

CETA benefits them directly by reducing export costs and simplifying procedures.

CETA offers new opportunities for EU businesses of all sizes to export to Canada. It will save EU businesses €590 million a year – the amount they pay in tariffs on goods exported to Canada. As of 21 September CETA removes duties on 98% of products (tariff lines) that the EU trades with Canada. It also gives EU companies the best access ever offered to companies from outside Canada to bid on the country's public procurement contracts - not just at the federal level but at provincial and municipal levels, too.

The agreement will especially benefit smaller companies who can least afford the cost of the red tape involved in exporting to Canada. Small businesses will save time and money, for example, by avoiding duplicative product testing requirements, lengthy customs procedures and costly legal fees. Member States' authorities dealing with export promotion stand ready to help businesses to start exporting overseas, boost existing trade, and attract investment.

CETA is possibly the farthest-reaching FTA between the EU and a foreign country.

If you are thinking about expanding your business into Canada or from Canada into the EU, Expandeers will provide any service related to your expansion  - from research to revenue. Please feel free to contact us at mailto: info@expandeers.com.

Business Development - Malaysia 2.0: In November we had our last Malaysian conference and speeches on Expansion into Europe in Kuala Lumpur. Since then Expandeers has successfully taken over expansions of many mid sized companies to and from Malaysia.

Due to that great echo we received, this March we did it again and went further North towards the border with Thailand. In conjunction with KTPC (Kulim Hi-Tech Park) and MATRADE (Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation) the event in Penang and Kulim hosted almost 200 representatives of mid sized Malaysian companies. They all were eager to learn about the potentials and hear about exciting opportunities to enter European markets as well as to get to know options on how to enter and also associated pitfalls. In a following panel discussion two experienced managers from ViTrox Technologies Berhad and Amiran Tech Berhad were interviewed by Dr. Annuar Mohamad Safar from Kulim Technology Park about their experiences and goals as well as their decision on why they work together with Expandeers in this respect. A networking lunch was rounding up that event. This whole event brought again the two continents Asia and Europe a bit closer and surely lead to further exciting opportunities on all sites.

Following that event, further seminars and workshops of Expandeers took place in Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

We are inviting any SMB and also interested Partners to join us on March 15: Matrade and MIDA together with Kuhlim High Tech Park (KHTP) and Expandeers Global Network proudly present another seminar on expansion into Europe. This time it takes place in the high tech region of Penang at the West Coast of Malaysia. 

In September 2010 the EU Member States approved the launch of negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement with Malaysia. One month later, negotiations were launched in Brussels. After seven rounds, negotiations were put on hold in April 2012 at Malaysia's request. A stocktaking exercise is being finalized to assess the prospect to resume negotiations. In 2016, Malaysia remained the EU's 22nd largest trading partner in goods. Bilateral trade between the EU and Malaysia is dominated by industrial products. The EU mainly imports machinery and appliances and mainly exports electrical equipment and machinery (both ways industrial products account for more than 90% of trade). Other sectors of relevance in terms of EU imports from Malaysia are plastics and rubber and animal and vegetable fats and oils and in terms of exports, mechanical products. That balance however may change, as Malaysia is a High Tech spot in many segments including software, robotics and cloud based solutions. 

Join us in Penang to hear more about the relationship of EU and Malaysian trade.

For almost 40 years, Werner has been living in Thailand, Laos, Saudi Arabia and many other regions of the world. Offering a very exciting and diverse professional history and career path, Werner nowadays works in business fields such as: Export of Beans & Pulses from Thailand, Revitalization of 25 Villas in Bangkok (350-390m2 ea.), Regional Business development in ASEAN and a Luxury Train Joint Venture with SRT. 

Please get in touch with us, if Thailand, Laos and further ASEAN countries are of interest for you!

2018 is the year of the dog -in fact the earth dog- in China. We at Expandeers wish you a prosperous year ahead. 

The dog is generally considered to be loyal, reliable and hardworking - these qualities will be supported by the element of Earth in 2018.

In the year of the dog, loyalty, discipline and reliability are the main focus. Both privately and professionally, stable partnerships can now be established and networks can be further expanded. And now the time has come to pay off all the effort and effort of the last few years and reap the rewards of your hard work. So the year of the dog obviously is the year companies around the world should tie up with EXPANDEERS to experience what loyalty, discipline and reliability is all about in expanding globally. 

Legal support by Barnes & Thornburg from Chicago / USA. Barnes & Thornburg LLP has a strong regional, national, and international practice and a broad and diverse client base. The firm is a member of TerraLex, a large, worldwide network of leading independent law firms, and the TechLaw Group, a network of independent regional law firms serving the technology market. 

More cultural knowledge by India-EU Training and Consulting of Anita Shukla: Experts for international HR with focus on technology for corporations and startups. India-EU Training and Consulting operates form Hamburg, Germany

Marketing Know-How from Crescendo Worldwide in Pune, India: Crescendo Worldwide is an International Trade Generating Organization based in India, with presence in 18 countries. Crescendo Worldwide is looked upon as a preferred organization for companies who are looking for International business expansion. 

A great worldwide support network by Wirtschaftsbeirat Bayern (Economic Advisory Board). The Wirtschaftsbeirat Bayern represents the interests of the entire economy and offers a forum for a constructive cooperation of all social forces. They  conduct the dialogue between business and politics at all levels on important topical, economic topics in larger lecture and discussion events, but also in smaller discussion groups and working groups as well as in direct discussions with personalities from politics, science and administration.

All of them provide Expandeers with yet more expertise and in-depth support for our clients.

Lawyer, Business Consultant, born in Barcelona in 1959. Sergio has been working in Spain, Latin America and North Africa for more than 30 years. He is a specialist in logistics and international trade and studied law at the University of Barcelona and also holds a Master Degree in Real Estate and Construction Law as well as a Master in Sports Law.

Nowadays he advises companies, e.g. insurance brokers, Legal consultant service by phone and many others. Also, he has built some own companies related to the sectors of leather tanning, garment making, meat and fish feeding. As one of the founders and partner he maintains two legal studios based in Barcelona and Buenos Aires.

Born in Granada in 1955, Antonio has been working in top management positions of several companies related to telemarketing as well as recovery of credit rights and impaired assets. He studied Business at the University of Barcelona, International Administration in California and holds a Post Graduate diploma at IESE at the University of Navarra.

He was financial director of Grupo Planeta Agostini and Akzo Coatings and has created several companies specialized in the recovery of assets, participating in the purchase of large portfolios acquired from major Spanish banks. He also is a member of the Anti-Fraud and Money-laundering Committee of ASNEF and an Entrepreneur himself active in various sectors.

We are welcoming Ridzuan to our team of professional global business developers. Graduated from University of Technology Malaysia in Computer Science he proceeded a MBA at the local University. Currently, he is providing a Business Advisory for local entrepreneurs in Kuala Lumpur to markets globally while acting as Honorary Secretary for Islamic Chamber of Commerce Kuala Lumpur (DPIMKL). 

We are very glad to have him on board. During the last couple of weeks together we have generated many prosperous opportunities and leads, of which we are certain will derive a large amount of business for our network.

What a great and successful weekend in Munich. Many new insights from around the world, a lot of fresh ideas and global opportunities and very many fruitful discussions, exchanges and personal meetings.

17 of our members, strategic partners and some clients met up over the weekend. Starting with a reception at a restaurant close by the Isar river almost all attendees already made it to the first event of that weekend. 

Our guests from Pakistan, India, Colombia, Sweden, UK, Switzerland, Czech Republic and Germany  used that first get-together to meet personally, to exchange, to catch up on prior meetings and to prepare for the next day's seminar.  Saturday was a packed day starting at Expandeers (Munich) close to Prinzregentenplatz in Bogenhausen. After initial words from the the founders team, every attendant had the opportunity to give a short overview on their respective personal background, expertise and possible opportunities in their countries. There had been many advancements made in the prior couple of months. Michael and Gerrit took the chance to update all members on amendments made to product range and products, new members who joined Expandeers, new countries added to the portfolio as well as on recent events and activities, e.g. in Kuala Lumpur / Malaysia, Lahore / Faisalabad (Pakistan) and Munich. They also emphasized on what is bringing all Expandeers members together i.e. ethical values and beliefs, the network and clients can rely on: be honest! be fair! show goodwill! generate benefit for all parties! A following overview of benefits for our members and partners, existing and planned marketing activities rounded up the morning session. 

After lunch two of Expandeers clients presented their case, shared their experiences of working together with Expandeers and discussed in an open workshop future global possibilities with the present members and partners. Pune (India) based Vishal Jadhav of Crescendo Worldwide gave an overview on how he and his network could support any endeavor of the network when expanding from and to India. A speech from Ahmed Hassan (Expandeers Pakistan) on the situation and future outlook of Pakistan was followed by a wrap-up in the early afternoon to start into the more casual rest of the day: A private tour of BMW Museum and a typical Bavarian dinner at the Hofbräukeller. The lively discussions and visionary approaches that result from bringing together several nationalities and industries in combination with Bavarian beer ended early in the morning, only few hours before the first guests had to leave again for the airport.  

The next global partner meeting is scheduled to take place -although not yet confirmed- on 27th to 29th of April 2018 supposedly in Hamburg or Hanover as Hannover-Messe takes place the week before.