Canada's Minister of International Trade Ed Fast Friday vowed to export more Canadian wood and wood products to China.

Welcoming a business delegation of 60 buyers from China to the annual Global Buyers Mission (GBM) and Wood First Forum, Fast said, "Having a strong business delegation from China here in Whistler, British Columbia (BC), complements our effort to continue to grow our exports to China."

"Canada is now China's largest supplier of imported lumber and among the fastest-growing markets for Canadian wood products. The value of Canadian wood exports to China has increased more than 10 times in the last five years, to over 1.4 billion Canadian dollars in 2012," he said.

Canadian wood and wood products exports to China are being facilitated by the government strategic investment and partnerships in building the Asia-Pacific Gateway infrastructure, said Fast, who visited one of China's top importers of Canadian wood products in Tianjin during his most recent trade mission to China last April.

"To date, we have invested over 1.4 billion Canadian dollars in projects that are making it easier, faster and more efficient for our exporters to reach the Chinese market. In fact, Canada's west coast ports are more than two days closer to Asia than any other ports in North America," he said.

"We want to continue to grow our exports to China and we will continue helping our forestry exporters reach new markets," he said.

The 10th GBM started on Friday in Whistler in Canada's westernmost province of British Columbia. The three-day event attracted 240 buyers from 22 countries, who are expected to buy 48 million Canadian dollars worth of wood products.

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