Together with the support of the Portuguese trade commission, the Canadian Apparel Federation is planning a trade mission to Portugal during the week of December 9th, highlighting opportunities for Canadian apparel companies to secure both production partners in that country.
Many Canadian apparel firms currently produce in Portugal. The benefits of manufacturing in that country are:
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High quality production,
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A strong local infrastructure including textiles and trim,
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Relatively low labour costs,
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A high level of knowledge and expertise in sustainable textiles
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Duty-free entry of goods made in Portugal exported to Canada (under the CETA), and
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An ability to use production in Portugal to easily access the EU market.
Companies participating in the mission would be able to visit apparel factories, textile suppliers and other partners in the Porto/Braga area.
The Portuguese Trade Commission will help cover expenses related to airfare and hotel. The mission will be relatively small as we are attempting to understand the scale of demand and plan for future activities.
Companies that are interested in this should contact us immediately:
Bob Kirke at the Canadian Apparel Federation - bkirke@apparel.ca