The Federal Government is putting 240-thousand dollars into a program to help Saskatchewan businesses export their products.

The Trade Accelerator Program gives business owners intensive practical training in how to navigate through the international rules and protocols needed to gain market access.

The Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade Minister told a Saskatoon audience the program provides instruction in areas like customs, shipping, financing and legal regulations.

Mary Ng says the hands-on mentoring from export experts gives graduates the road map for export strategies.

She says almost 80-percent of companies who have taken the training are exporting their goods and services overseas and points out only about 12-percent of small and medium sized businesses sell internationally.

Ng feels the program run in conjunction with the Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership will allow companies to customize export plans based on their products and potential marketplaces and notes Canada has trade partnerships with about 50 countries totaling about 1.5 billion customers.

The program starts next month in Saskatchewan with a session January 29th and 30th in Saskatoon.