The Council on International Trade was established in early 2011 to develop a coordinated strategy between government and the private sector to increase international trade in Manitoba.

1. Within this general mandate, the Council was given the task of developing an initial strategic plan that would focus the efforts of the collaborating organizations going forward. The Council created a Steering Committee to develop the initial concept and analysis, and prepare drafts of the plan for Council’s approval. An external facilitator was engaged to assist the Steering Committee and Council in working through the process. Manitoba Trade and Investment provided staff support.

This report is focused on trade – which includes domestic and international exports, imports and investment. Developing trade capability is not only directed at selling Manitoba products and services to others, but also finding foreign trade suppliers that can provide their products and services in Manitoba. By world standards Manitoba’s economy is small, although it is not without several distinct competitive advantages. The question, therefore, to be addressed in this strategic plan is, "What can be done that will have an impact on Manitoba’s trade?"

2. The Planning Premises
In the initial discussions of the nature and scope of the international trade strategic plan, several planning premises (or guiding principles) were proposed. These planning premises set broad guidelines for the plan and added direction and focus to the discussions.

The planning premises were:

>	Collaborative The international trade strategy must be significantly private-sector-driven and require the collaborative efforts of government and other partners. There is also an important role for the provincial government, such as dealing with other governments, both national and sub-national, and their trade development agencies.
>	Focus The strategy must be focused – not necessarily on specific markets or products, but on activities and actions that have the support of all stakeholders.
>	Research based The plan must be based on data rather than anecdotal evidence.
>	Aggressive The Council agrees that the international trade strategy be both aggressive and bold.
>	Unique to Manitoba Although Manitoba can learn from other jurisdictions, emphasis should be on developing an international trade strategy based on Manitoba’s unique characteristics and trading advantages.
>	Long-term The focus should be on developing Manitoba’s long-term international trade capacity rather than trying to pick “winners” in the near term. Indeed, it is the Council’s belief that Manitoba is advantaged in the long-term by developing processes, activities and strategies that enable all Manitoba organizations to increase their trade capability.
>	The Role of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) Many Manitoba organizations, especially the larger ones, are very successful exporters. Although these organizations will no doubt always welcome assistance, the greatest potential for increasing our exports is likely with SMEs. Therefore, some of the analysis and strategic actions for export are focused specifically on this segment of Manitoba’s economy.

The Vision

The Council has a five-year vision. The vision itself describes the destination that the strategic plan is designed to achieve.

The Council’s vision is:

>	an international trade culture/mindset in Manitoba
>	an effective network of collaborative public and private relationships that enhances exports and trade
>	a focused Manitoba trade strategy
>	SMEs are the fastest growing segment of Manitoba’s export activity
>	a diversified approach to international trade The Council will develop benchmarks and measures of achievement for each of the vision statements.