Province Advancing N.S.’s Business Relationships in China
Nova Scotia Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Keith Colwell recently travelled to China to help promote business relationships in fisheries, aquaculture, agri-food and beverages.
“We have built successful trading relationships in China, which has contributed to our record high export sales, primarily for our fishery,” Colwell said. “Even with this success, it remains critical to connect with key buyers from food service, wholesale, retail and e-commerce sectors to continue advancing economic opportunities for Nova Scotia’s export businesses.”
During this trip, the minister represented the premier at key events in Qingdao and Shanghai as part of the Atlantic Growth Strategy Trade Mission to China.
Nova Scotia companies were represented at one of the world’s largest expos, the China Fisheries and Seafood Expo in Qingdao. These included:
- Atlantic Resources Partnership, Halifax
- Atlantic Sea Cucumber, Halifax
- Top Claw Lobster Seafood Company, Newellton, Shelburne Co.
- Fisher King Seafoods, Lower Sackville
- Gidney Fisheries, Digby
- Louisbourg Seafoods, Louisbourg
- Nautical Seafoods, Annapolis Royal
- Right Source Seafood Fisheries, Bedford
- Atlantic Aqua Farms, Dartmouth
- Victoria Co-operative Fisheries, Neil’s Harbour, Victoria Co.
- World Link Food Distributors, Goffs, Halifax Regional Municipality
- Rio Imports and Exports, Dartmouth
Atlantic Canada Increases Lobster Cargo Flights to China
With the contraction of the Chinese lobster supply from the U.S., the supply from Canada has ballooned, according to Seafoodnews.com.
In the past 12 months, Asian markets have received seafood from Halifax’s Stanfield International Airport on a weekly basis. And the lobster export has jumped by 63 per cent on average compared with the same period last year.
Air Korea has provided cargo transportation service to Halifax for several years now. China’s cargo airline, Suparna Airlines, has also been a provider of such service to Halifax since 2017. This August, two more flights from Halifax to Changsha China, were added. Each can carry about 120 tonnes of seafood to China every time.
According to Air Canada, apart from these cargo aircraft, it also has a plane to fly 20,000 kg or more of seafood from Halifax to Montreal every day.
Moncton’s Romeo LeBlanc International Airport has also been quite occupied with its lobster delivery business recently. Although it only flies lobsters to China occasionally during Chinese festivals and other special days, Kalitta Air has also started cargo transportation directly from Moncton to Asia in August.
Canada’s lobster exports to China have skyrocketed by 298 per cent from 2012 to 2016, while it sold 10,738 tonnes of lobsters worth U.S.$158.6 million in 2017.
N.S. Government and Clearwater Receive Recognition for Building Relations in China
The Government of Nova Scotia and a leading Nova Scotia seafood exporter have been recognized for achieving commercial success in China.
Clearwater Seafoods was given the gold award for outstanding e-commerce achievement at the Canada China Business Excellence Awards in Toronto, Wednesday, Oct. 3, while the Government of Nova Scotia received the outstanding achievement silver award for its marketing work in China, which includes the Nova Scotia Seafood brand.
“Our trade with China has been on the rise in recent years and we are committed to pursuing opportunities that will benefit our economy and create more jobs for Nova Scotians,” said Premier Stephen McNeil.
“I extend congratulations to Clearwater Seafoods and all our partners who have been instrumental on our trade missions as we work to advance economic opportunities and investment in our province.”
Seafood exports to China have increased significantly in recent years, from $14 million in 2009 to $387 million in 2017.
Exports from Nova Scotia to China, the province’s second-largest trading partner, totalled $611 million in 2017, compared to $64 million in 2008.
In April 2016, Nova Scotia introduced Partnering for Success: The Nova Scotia — China Engagement Strategy, aimed at enhancing the province’s relationship with one of the world’s fastest growing markets.
