Canada has set an ambitious goal — expand trade beyond the United States and build stronger economic ties with fast-growing markets around the world. For a country as trade-dependent as ours, and for export-oriented regions such as Western Canada, this is smart policy. But there’s a gap between ambition and execution that will need to be bridged.

While trade agreements and export strategies open doors, they don’t guarantee Canadian companies can walk through them.

In many emerging markets across Latin America, Africa and Asia, Canadian firms encounter practical barriers that go well beyond tariffs — things such as difficulty finding skilled local workers or reliable local suppliers, establishing trusting relationships with local authorities and complex community dynamics that can delay or derail projects.

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These obstacles are often the difference between a successful investment and one that never gets off the ground.

If Canada is serious about diversifying trade, we need to think more broadly about how we enable the conditions for Canadian companies to succeed internationally.........

© Calgary Herald