International Trade committee  Well, as Mr. Perron said, businesses have to start with a good plan, a good strategy. They need to be able to deal with the challenges they face without always using the same formula. Businesses need to start with a clear and credible plan that they're capable of executing. Second, the programs must be able to meet businesses' actual needs.

International Trade committee  Exporting is a process that takes a while. Businesses have to make significant investments before they can reap any concrete benefits. Obviously, any costs a business incurs to come up with an export plan, such as for travel, hiring or resources, really add up, so they need adequate support for that.

International Trade committee  There is no doubt that businesses take major risks when they expand internationally. There are costs involved, and when programs are closed or entrepreneurs can't access them because of the nature of their business, that obviously impedes their export plans. They have to put those plans on hold and prioritize things that are more profitable for their business.

International Trade committee  Good afternoon, everyone. First of all, thank you for inviting us and allowing us to speak to this subject. As Mr. Perron pointed out earlier, SERDEX International is a regional export promotion organization, which we call ORPEX. So we are the ORPEX that serves the Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean region.