May 8th, 2024, Ottawa, Canada
High Commissioner Joseph Sokoine paid a courtesy call to the Executive Director of the Trade Facilitation Office Canada, Mr. Steve Tipman, to discuss collaboration opportunities and explore the market for Tanzania agricultural and handicraft products in Canada. The other participants in the Meeting held on May 8th, 2024, at the TFO Canada Office in Ottawa were the High Commission's First Secretary (Economic Affairs), Ms. Vainess Mollel, and the TFO Canada Program Director for Africa, Ms. Kristin Marinacci.
The Trade Facilitation Office Canada (TFO Canada) is a highly reputable non-profit organization dedicated to improving lives by creating sustainable trade partnerships for exporters from developing countries with Canadian and foreign buyers. Please visit their website for more information about their activities and services – tfocanada.ca.
Therefore, given the critical role of this organization in promoting trade between the developing and developed worlds, the High Commission expressed interest to the TFO Canada to consider Tanzania in its projects, particularly those focused on capacity building for women-led small and medium enterprises in developing countries. This presents a significant opportunity for our exporters to gain exposure in the Canadian market.
The High Commission also discussed its interest in working with that organization to coordinate a business matchmaking meeting between Tanzanian exporters and Canadian importers to create sustainable trade and to organize a webinar for Tanzanian exporters on the TFO Canada online services for our exporters to break through in the competitive Canadian market.
The other agenda item of the High Commission was to request that TFO Canada provide a free service on its website promoting developing countries' trade fairs, such as the Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair, as one of the best ways for Canadian companies interested in Trade and Investment in Tanzania to visit our country.
As a result of the productive Meeting, it was agreed to hold a webinar for Tanzanian exporters before the end of June 2024. This webinar will introduce our exporters to the free online services offered by TFO Canada. Additionally, TFO Canada proposed that the Mission submit advertisements for the Tanzania trade shows, such as the Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair, to be held from June 28th to July 13th, 2024, for posting on the organization's website.
The Meeting also noted the High Commission's importance in carrying out market research on the Canadian market through the Canadian trade shows to advise our exporters accordingly. Therefore, the Mission proposed to visit one of the major food products, services, and food processing industries in Montreal, Canada, from May 15th to 17th, 2024, to advise our exporters accordingly.