Doing Business in France

Video transcript

[Jazzy, electronic music starts.]

[A computer beeps and boots up. A glowing bar slides across a blue screen, revealing a map of the world. The camera zooms in, every country fading to grey except for France, which rises from the map. A blue banner crosses the screen.]

Text on screen: Canadian Agri-Food Trade Commissioners

[The banner's text swaps.]

Text on screen: Doing Business in France.

[The banner disappears. The camera zooms quickly into the country of France, which fades away, replaced by an aerial view of the Eiffel tower in Paris.]

[Cut to busy square in Paris.]

Yannick Dheilly: The European market is a big one.

[Cut to aerial zoom out of freight ships being loaded.]

There are four countries that have really good import capacities in the European Union.

[Cut to the British House of Parliament.]

There’s the United Kingdom…

[Cut to the Eiffel tower. Then Berlin. Then to Venice.]

… France, Germany, and Italy.

[Cut to graphic of map of Europe displaying movement of product between countries and continents with glowing blue lines.]

These four countries together are the main potential markets for Canadian products…

[Cut to a senior couple looking at produce. A woman shops for groceries.]

and I think there is potential there.

[Cut to a woman at a bakery’s check-out.]

They like Canadian products in Europe…

[Cut to a close-up of syrup drizzled over pancakes.]

…there is a sympathy for Canada.

[Cut to woman standing in forest holding a small Canadian flag.]

[Cut to Yannick Dheilly]

Text on screen: Yannick Dheilly. Trade Commissioner. Agriculture and Agri-Food

I want to talk about some tips to make it easier to export to the French market.

[Cut to close up of croissant and cup of coffee with Eiffel tower in background. Then a couple shopping in freezer section of grocery store.]

First, we find out who wants to buy the product…

[Cut to woman in a distribution centre looking at an iPad.]

…which distribution network should be used to market it.

[Cut to Yannick]

It is difficult to market directly in France. It is often necessary to go through an importer-distributor.

[Cut to workers in a distribution centre.]

The only way to market directly in France is if you have an inventory, a stock, in Europe.

[Cut to Yannick]

This stock does not have to be in France. For example, it may be in Belgium…

[Cut to a busy square in Belgium. Then a canal in the Netherlands.]

…or the Netherlands.

[Cut to European flags blowing in wind.]

But if you have a stock in Europe, it’s different…

[Cut to a group of people talking at a food trade show. They shake hands.]

…because you can reach a much larger number of potential customers.

[Cut to Yannick]

If you don’t have any stock in Europe, you’re really looking to export from Canada, so you have to go to people who are able to import.

[Cut to transport truck driving down a highway.]

[Cut to Canadian flag and European flag.]

Text on Screen: Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement

[Cut to close up of items on a conveyer belt at grocery store checkout.]

Text on screen: CETA

With CETA, customs duties have disappeared on many processed products…

[Cut to clip of cookies being made in a manufacturing chain.]

…as well as on products that previously had high duties…

[Cut to close up of woman eating cookie.]

…such as cookies and cupcakes.

[Cut to close up of colourful macaroons and cupcakes on a rotating platter. Then back to Yannick]

It makes a big difference, and I think we can take advantage of the opportunities that are presenting themselves.

[Cut to a cupcake on a plate. Then back to Yannick.]

I think there are great opportunities…

[Cut to the Canadian booth at the SIAL trade show.]

…to encourage companies to come to the Canada Pavilion.

[Cut to a closeup of the SIAL sign.]

Here, it’s not just the French market…

[Cut to photo of people walking in lobby of Anuga trade show.]

…it is not just French buyers…

[Cut to graphic of globe portraying movement of product between countries and continents with glowing blue lines.]

…it’s many buyers from all over Europe and other regions.

[Cut to timelapse of trade show attendees bustling around Canadian booth.]

These are opportunities to meet many people, to set up meetings.

[Cut to booth staff talking to onlookers. Then back to Yannick Dheilly]

I encourage all Canadian companies to come to the European market, to come to major trade shows like Anuga and SIAL, because this is really an opportunity that presents itself once a year to come and meet the market.

[Cut back to the blue map. A banner crosses the screen.]

Text on screen: Contact us today

[The banner's text changes.]

Text on screen: trade commissioner.gc.ca

[The map clip plays in reverse, zooming out and disappearing. The jazzy, electronic music fades out. Fade to the Canada wordmark.]

Text on screen: Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food (2020)