‘Foraged’ mushrooms are a made-in-B.C. delicacy that David Lee Kwen hopes to sell in South Korea once he learns more about doing business there at next week’s B.C.-Korea Trade and Investment Forum.

With the Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement (CKFTA) now in force, opportunities await and Kwen, owner of Misty Mountain Specialties in Richmond, is not one to be left behind. Over time, the CKFTA will eliminate tariffs on 87% of agricultural products including mushrooms. This duty-free access will give these products preferential access to the Korean market and put Canada on a level playing field with Korea’s current free trade agreement partners.

Kwen’s ready and he knows his mushrooms - he’s been getting them onto dinner plates for some time.  Several years ago he began selling oyster mushrooms to Canadian chefs and was the first to introduce European-influenced crimini and portabella mushrooms here. He also sells a wide variety of mushrooms that include domestic and foraged fungi plucked from B.C. forests, as well as other exotic foods such as sea asparagus and wild fiddlehead greens.

Kwen is already exporting his products to Japan, and he’s eager to get into the Korean market where he anticipates that his forest-harvested matsutake, chaga and ling zhi mushrooms will be well-received. 

Last month he jumped at the chance to join B.C.’s agrifood business delegation to the Seoul Food Show in South Korea and that’s spurred inquiries for more samples from a Korean buyer. Now he’s among the hundreds of delegates looking forward to the B.C. - Korea Forum to learn more about the Korean market, cement connections he made at the food show, and make new ones.

The B.C. - Korea Trade and Investment Forum in Burnaby on June 23, 2015, is the place to be for globally-minded B.C. businesses wanting to enter the Asian market.  The new CKFTA - Canada’s first free trade agreement in Asia - represents a stepping stone into the dynamic and growing Asian market.

Through the BC Jobs Plan, British Columbia can grow its Agrifoods sector by expanding access to priority markets such as South Korea. This gives B.C. businesses and communities of all sizes the potential for immense growth and an opportunity to strengthen local economies and provide jobs. Watch the live webcast online starting at 9:40 a.m. on June 23: http://ow.ly/OuYkf  

Quotes:

Teresa Wat, Minister of International Trade -

“The B.C. government is eager to help businesses take advantage of the many opportunities now available under Canada’s new trade agreement with South Korea. Our trade and investment representatives work hard to promote B.C. products and introduce B.C. entrepreneurs to new markets.”

David Lee Kwen, owner, Misty Mountain Specialties -

“What I have learned is that Koreans love to live a healthy lifestyle. You can’t get much healthier or more natural than our wild mushrooms. As a result of attending the Seoul Food Show last month, we sent our first sample to Korean buyers a few days ago - fresh morels from Prince George forests and sea asparagus from B.C.’s  coast. The forum is a great opportunity to learn more about Korea and meet potential new customers.”

Quick Facts:

• The Canada - Korea Free Trade Agreement (CKFTA) has been in effect since Jan. 1, 2015.
• With the CKFTA, the Government of Canada predicts that exports of goods and services to South Korea will increase by as much as 32% and boost Canadian gross domestic product by $1.7 billion annually.
• The forum will focus on the sectors where B.C. is expected to benefit the most: agrifoods and seafood, natural resources and technology.
• Since the CKFTA came into effect in 2015, total B.C. agrifood and seafood exports to Korea increased 87% during the first quarter of 2015 relative to the same quarter in 2014 ($9.3 million to $17.4 million).
  • B.C. agrifood exports increased 81% during the first quarter of 2015 relative to the same quarter in 2014 (from $8.2 to $14.8 million).
  • B.C. seafood exports increased 127% during the first quarter of 2015 relative to the same quarter in 2014 (from $1.1 million to $2.6 million).

 Learn More:

To register for the Forum, or to learn more, visit: http://ow.ly/OuUfU

For the full program of exciting speakers, see: www.bc-koreaforum.ca

Learn more about B.C. trade and investment opportunities: http://www.britishcolumbia.ca/

Find out how international trade is creating new jobs in B.C.: www.bcjobsplan.ca

To find out more about the CKFTA, visit: http://ow.ly/H5rCE

Media Contacts:

Media Relations
Ministry of International Trade
250 356-7293