Minister for International Trade		Ministre du Commerce International
	Canada Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0G2

The Team Canada delegation will travel to Asia to promote and advance our bilateral trade and investment interests in these key regional markets. The Prime Minister will be accompanied by provincial Premiers and Territorial Leaders, as well as by myself and the Honourable Raymond Chan, Secretary of State, Asia Pacific.

The countries selected for this mission represent increasingly affluent markets in the Asia-Pacific region, which offer tremendous commercial opportunities for Canada, today and in the future. The Team Canada mission will serve to showcase Canadian companies with active interests in the region, through a series of bilateral business programmes to be organized in Seoul, Manila and Bangkok. As well, sectoral meetings will be organized with senior business leaders in these markets, in order that prospects for bilateral business cooperation can be explored further.

An important element of the Team Canada programme will be signing ceremonies for new commercial agreements between Canadian firms and their local counterparts in Korea, the Philippines and Thailand, witnessed by the Prime Minister, Premiers, Territorial Leaders, as well as Canadian and host government Cabinet Ministers.

The Dynamism of the Team Canada concept has already yielded highly successful trade and investment results in China, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Latin America. Canadian companies announced 370 business deals worth an estimated $20 bullion during previous missions, and reported several billion dollars in new business transactions as a direct result of their participation in these trade missions. This Team Canada mission, our third to Asia, will build on these achievements.

The enclosed invitation package provides more information on the visit and includes the forms you need to register as a business delegate. A special "Team Canada 1997" Task Force has been established in my department to assist you in preparing for the mission, or to provide any additional information that you may be require. Any specific enquiries should be directed to them at (613) 995-2194, or by fax, at (613) 996-3406.

I have every confidence that your company can capitalize upon the opportunities that this trade mission will present, and hope you will join us as a member of Team Canada 1997.

Sincerely,


Arthur C. Eggleton

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