Trade Team PEI and seven Prince Edward Island clients have just returned from another successful trade mission to Chile, Argentina and Brazil. The participating companies were Progressive Bioactives, Charlottetown Metal Products, Atlantic Vet College, and Atlantech Engineering. Building on the success of previous missions to the region, these companies explored new trade opportunities in the aquaculture technology, agriculture technology, business services and education sectors.
For some companies, like Charlottetown Metal Products, this mission was an opportunity to follow-up with existing contacts and to leverage the success already attained in the Chilean market and obtain bids for new contracts. The growing mussel industry in Chile has provided CMP with significant sales over the past six years. This mission provided the platform for additional bid opportunities in southern Chile. The company will also be entering a bid on crab processing machinery to be located in southern Argentina.
Atlantech Engineering has been working hard to develop business relationships in Chile’s world leading salmon industry. Atlantech provides equipment for the recirculation and treatment of water for growers of young salmon as well as water treatment systems for salmon processors. Sales have been increasing over the past seven years as the company builds its reputation and on-site service capacity.
The Atlantic Veterinary College was able to sign an agreement to perform joint research with the faculty of the University of Los Lagos. The research will provide mussel farmers with information used to determine the productive capacity of bays and estuaries in southern Chile.
Progressive Bioactives Ltd. will see its ProVale immune stimulant product used in feeding trials for salmon and swine. The company met with world leaders in the production of aquaculture feeds and expects that sales will follow the success of these trials.
The companies reported that, in all, $9.3 million in sales and bid opportunities were achieved during the mission.
“By aggressively pursuing niche markets around the world, PEI-based companies are creating new sales, which ultimately leads to increased employment, and proving that they can complete in global markets,” said the Honourable Mike Currie, Minister of Development and Technology. “Success stories like that of Charlottetown Metal Products are exactly why the province focuses on trade development.”
The trade mission is an initiative of Trade Team Prince Edward Island, a partnership of federal and provincial government departments and agencies that offer various forms of export assistance to active and potential exporters. ACOA and Prince Edward Island Business Development Inc. are among its partners.