International Trade Minister promotes Canada’s mining sector at Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada convention

News Release

March 7, 2017 - Toronto, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of International Trade, was in Toronto on March 6 and 7, 2017, to promote trade and growth of Canadian mining and supply companies that will benefit the hundreds of thousands of Canadians they employ while he was at the annual convention of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC).

At the convention, Minister Champagne met with many company representatives from the full range of Canada’s world-class mining and mining supply sectors, which employ more than 373,000 Canadians across the country along with another 190,000 people indirectly. The mining industry is the largest private-sector employer of Indigenous peoples in Canada.

Minister Champagne held in-depth round-table discussions with representatives of the Mining Association of Canada, who said that those who work in mining enjoy the highest wages and salaries of all industrial sectors in Canada, with average annual pay exceeding $115,000. He also met with the Canadian Association of Mining Equipment and Services for Export. Minister Champagne reiterated Canada’s commitment to responsible business conduct and social responsibility, both in mining and more generally, around the world.

Minister Champagne also participated in the second annual International Mines Ministers Summit and spoke at the 14th Canada-China Investment Forum, highlighting Canada’s priority of expanding trade and investment between the two countries to generate growth and job opportunities for Canadians.

Minister Champagne also held bilateral meetings with cabinet ministers from several countries where Canada has significant mining interests, such as Brazil, China, Mexico, Mongolia and South Africa. During his meeting with Tsedev Dashdorj, Mongolia’s Minister of Mining and Heavy Industry, Minister Champagne announced that the Canada-Mongolia Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA) is now in force. This agreement provides substantial protections for Canadian investors in Mongolia, where there are already significant Canadian-owned mining assets.

Following his participation in the PDAC convention, the Minister hosted a round table with woman entrepreneurs and representatives of woman-run national advocacy and support organizations during which he heard perspectives on the opportunities and priorities of Canadian women operating in global markets. During this event, he also marked the 20th anniversary of the Government of Canada’s Business Women in International Trade program (BWIT), which links Canadian woman entrepreneurs with international business opportunities. In the context of International Women’s Day, on March 8, Minister Champagne also launched the special 20th-anniversary edition of BWIT’s annual newsletter.

Quotes

“Promoting the trade and investment interests of Canada’s mining and mining-supply companies will lead to more growth and jobs for Canadians at home and abroad. Canadian companies are global giants in the extractive sector. They account for almost half of worldwide mining activities and are of immense benefit to the Canadian economy.”

- François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of International Trade

Quick Facts

  • Canadian mining and exploration companies are present in more than 100 countries.

  • Canadian mining assets abroad totalled $170.8 billion in 2015, up 2.6 percent from 2014.

  • There are more than 3,700 companies in Canada that supply engineering, geotechnical, environmental, financial and other services to the mining sector.

  • Exports of the mining and mineral processing sector reached $92 billion in 2015 and accounted for 19.1 percent of Canada’s exports.

  • Woman-owned businesses employed over 1.5 million Canadians in 2016. Of Canada’s exporting small and medium-sized enterprises, 16.6 percent are 50-percent woman-owned and 7.6 percent are over 50-percent woman-owned.

Associated Links

Contacts

Media Relations Office
Global Affairs Canada
343-203-7700
media@international.gc.ca
Follow us on Twitter: @CanadaTrade
Like us on Facebook: Canada’s international trade - Global Affairs Canada

Page details

Date modified: