Marketing and Delivering BC Forest Products Around the World | FII

Corporate

FII is a B.C. Crown agency governed by a Board of Directors and accountable to the B.C. Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation. FII operates out of offices in Vancouver, Shanghai and Beijing.

Benefits to British Columbia

FII benefits the people and economy of British Columbia by:

  • working to maintain existing markets for B.C. forest products, and as a result, protecting forestry jobs in resource communities, in collaboration with the forest sector;
  • opening up new markets for B.C. forest products and creating the potential for new jobs to service these markets;
  • building awareness of B.C. internationally, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, which helps strengthen and grow trade ties; and
  • supporting the growth of a sustainable and green economy by promoting the environmental benefits of wood in structural and non-structural applications and greater use of renewable wood products from B.C.

Service Delivery

FII works closely with industry associations and other levels of government in marketing B.C. forest products around the world. More than half of FII’s budget supports programs delivered by industry trade associations and other partners. The federal government and industry also financially support these programs.

In delivering its programs, FII responds to industry priorities. It does not duplicate the efforts of trade associations or provide business subsidies to individual firms, as outlined in the following table.

No Significant Existing Demand Emerging Market Segment Mature Market Segment
Focus:
Identify potential opportunities for sale of B.C. forest products
Introduce products and applications
Develop market for B.C. forest products to a robust commercial scale Maintain or increase B.C. market share
Role: Forestry Innovation Investment
Conduct market research to identify opportunities Provide funding for trade association marketing programs Provide funding for trade association niche marketing programs
Identify key factors or barriers to growth Partner in specific markets with associations on market development Position B.C. forest products as environmentally superior
Develop market entry strategy, when potential market is identified Promote environmental merits of B.C. forest practices and products
Role: Trade Associations
Work with FII on market entry strategies Build B.C.’s market presence Maintain market awareness and preference for B.C. forest products
Respond to market access barriers Overcome market access barriers Intervene to prevent new market access barriers
Provide support for revising codes and standards Provide technical transfer, quality assurance and support for updating codes and standards
Role: Individual Firms
Minimal activity Market entry sales activities Build sales/market share to a profitable and sustainable level
Example Markets
Mongolia China Japan (residential housing)

More details on FII activities are available on the Corporate Structure page.

Partners and Stakeholders

FII works with an extensive list of trade associations, research institutions, government and other groups interested in promoting the B.C. forest sector. Links to many of these groups are available here.

Organization Relationship
Government
Government of British Columbia Sole shareholder, providing most of FII’s funding
Minister of Forests, Mines and Lands Minister responsible for FII
Department of Tourism, Trade and Investment Co-ordinator of international economic development, trade, and investment
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Government of Canada Federal agency supporting in-market trade and investment promotion and, in China, representing the Government of Canada in the Canada-B.C. Wenchuan Earthquake Reconstruction Project
Department of Natural Resources, Government of Canada Federal funding agency for international marketing programs through the Canada Wood Export Program (CWEP) and the North America Wood First Initiative
Western Economic Diversification Canada Provides funding for the Business Innovation Program
Other
B.C. forest industry associations:

  • APA – The Engineered Wood Association
  • BC First Nations Forestry Council
  • BC Log & Timber Building Industry Ass’n
  • BC Shake and Shingle Association
  • BC Wood Specialties Group
  • Canada Wood Group
  • Canadian Wood Council – WoodWORKS! BC
  • Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau
  • Coast Forest Products Association
  • Council of Forest Industries
  • Western Red Cedar Export Association
  • Western Red Cedar Lumber Association
  • Wood Products Council
Funding recipients that initiate and deliver domestic and international marketing programs and that may also receive funding from Natural Resources Canada and/or other partner organizations
Post-secondary and research institutions:

  • University of British Columbia
  • British Columbia Institute of Technology
  • FPInnovations (Forintek, FERIC and Paprican Divisions)
Partners and/or funding recipients that initiate and deliver product development and technical research, and overseas training programs to build local capacity in wood frame construction
  • Forest Products Association of Canada
  • Department of Natural Resources, Government of Canada
  • Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Government of Canada
  • FPInnovations (Forintek Division)
  • B.C. Forestry Climate Change Working Group
  • Sustainable Building Coalition
Partners in developing and delivering programs promoting B.C.’s sustainable forest practices and the environmental benefits of wood products and the forest sector
British Columbia