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Introduction to Selling to Foreign Governments

As a Canadian business, consider becoming a supplier to foreign governments, especially those with which Canada has a trade agreement.

Trade Agreements

Trade agreements make it easier for Canadian suppliers to sell to governments outside of Canada by eliminating tariffs and providing equal access to contracts of certain dollar values. The main trade agreements signed by Canada are:

• North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) The signing of NAFTA by Canada, the United States and Mexico created the world's largest free trade area. It eliminates import and export tariffs between the three countries on nearly all goods and services that qualify under the Agreement. It also guarantees equal access to government procurement opportunities of a certain dollar value for businesses in all three NAFTA countries.

• World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Government Procurement
  The WTO Agreement on Government Procurement provides Canadian suppliers with access to government procurement markets in the United States, the European Union, Japan, South Korea and other important markets.

• Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement This Canada-Chile agreement opens markets for government procurement to each other's suppliers.

Details on these and other agreements can be found on the following sites:

• Trade agreements
  
  http://contratscanada-contractscanada.gc.ca/ac-ta-eng.html
  Learn the basics of Canada's main trade agreements, such as excluded services and goods, and minimum contract amounts for goods, services and construction.
• Government Procurement
  
  http://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/fo/gp.aspx
  Get details on all the free trade agreements covering government procurement that Canada has signed, as well as agreements under negotiation.

Contracting Opportunities

To find Requests for Proposals from foreign governments, you can check:

• MERX – Canadian Public Tenders
  
  http://www.canadabusiness.ca/eng/summary/1040/
  Applies to: All of Canada
  Find opportunities to sell your products or services to governments and other organizations using the MERX system.
• AusTender
  
  https://www.tenders.gov.au/?event=public.home
  Find business opportunities, annual procurement plans and multi-use contracts to do business with the Australian Government.
• Contracts Finder
  
  http://www.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/
  Find contract opportunities to do business with the government of the United Kingdom.
• SIMAP - European Public Procurement
  
  http://simap.europa.eu/index_en.htm
  Find information and opportunities to do business with the European Union and its member states.