BURST
Amid continuing trade tensions between Canada and the U.S., the board of trade for Surrey and White Rock says it’s ramping up international trade missions in an attempt to help local businesses diversify their customer base.
Joslyn Young, CEO of the Surrey and White Rock Board of Trade, just arrived back in Canada Monday night from a trip to Taiwan. She said she was the only Western Canadian representative from a delegation of the U.S. and Canada visitor leadership program in Taipei City. The group was welcomed by Taiwan’s deputy foreign minister, Chen Ming-chi.
“I really felt a responsibility to represent not just Surrey and White Rock, but all of British Columbia,” Young said.
“We really got to explore exciting topics for the future of our three economies, with digital innovation, like AI, high-tech supply chains and just the overall concept of trade between our nations.”
On Tuesday, Ottawa announced it will impose counter-tariffs on more than 700 U.S. goods in the coming weeks, in a “dollar-for-dollar” retaliation against American President Donald Trump’s new tariffs on products from Canada.
Young expressed her disappointment in the U.S. for not being able to reach a deal with Canada “that respects our long-standing economic partnership and the principles of fair, rules-based trade.”
Young said the Surrey board of trade has conducted only a handful of trade missions throughout its 20 years.
“There wasn’t necessarily the immediate, pressing demand and need for it that we have right now, simply because of Canada’s relationship with the United States. So that’s why we’re pushing it right now, because we feel very passionately that the business community needs to diversify their customer base and their trade portfolios,” Young said. “By going to these places and making those human connections, I can now confidently introduce my members to people in Taiwan and China. And then, in the new year, we’re going to India as well.”
In June, Young travelled to China, as part of the trade mission led by B.C. Premier David Eby to the cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Young, was joined by Li Gong, owner of Surrey company Vancasa Tile and Stone.
While they didn’t participate in the actual government meetings, they were still able to visit multiple businesses and create connections between Surrey and White Rock and Chinese locals.
“We wanted to go in order to be a part of those conversations to help the Chinese communities and business people understand where Surrey is and how it’s not just Vancouver. There are several other amazing cities in this province, and we’re one of them,” Young said.
“The other sentiment that I heard, especially in Taiwan, is that the United States and Canada are so big. Sometimes they don’t know where to start over here. So it’s our responsibility to go over there and tell them who we are and what we do.”
One avenue Young found plausible for future exploration between Taiwan and Canada is in the technology sector, she said.
“Taiwan produces 90 per cent of the world’s advanced chips, so that’s what you need for the AI. And of course, British Columbia has several of the critical minerals required for such chips, so that’s where I can see an opportunity for us to actually be stronger partners in the future.”
The February 2027 trip to India is being independently planned by the board of trade, with many members expected to join. Young said she has also opened it up to other boards of trade.
“We’ll be able to expand because they really, really need to think beyond the United States. They’ll always be an important part of our economy, so we can’t forget about the United States. But we also need to diversify away from the U.S.,” Young said. “We are hopeful the United States will return to the table with a different perspective, but we cannot build Canadian economic policy on that possibility.”
The board of trade is also urging governments at every level to focus on creating the conditions for private-sector growth by removing barriers within Canada, building the necessary infrastructure, reducing unnecessary regulatory costs and making Canada more competitive for investment.
This sentiment was also echoed by the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade. Its CEO, Bridgitte Anderson, also called on all levels of government to act urgently on strengthening the economy.
“Trump has damaged one of the most successful economic partnerships in history, creating uncertainty that hurts businesses, workers and consumers in both Canada and the United States. Small- and medium-sized businesses across British Columbia are now forced to grapple with the results,” Anderson said in a statement Tuesday.