Minister Ng concludes successful Canada Trade Mission to Chile

From: Global Affairs Canada

News release

April 14, 2023 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada 

Canada and Chile have enjoyed strong diplomatic relations for more than 80 years, bolstered by equally strong commercial and investment relations. Both countries share deep commitments to inclusive trade and gender equality, the inclusion of small and medium-sized enterprises in international trade, responsible business conduct, environmental protection, and labour rights.

Today, Canada concluded a successful trade mission to Chile, led by the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, alongside Parliamentary Secretary Soraya Martinez Ferrada.

Upon arrival in Santiago, Chile, Minister Ng participated in a roundtable with Canadian investors in Chile to discuss the business and investment climate. She then met with Chile’s Minister of Women and Gender Equity, Antonia Orellana, to discuss Chile’s priorities for gender equality and Canada and Chile’s shared commitment to advancing women’s participation in the economy. The ministers also identified areas of collaboration under the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of Chile and the Government of Canada on Cooperation in Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment. 

Minister Ng met with Alberto van Klaveren, Chile’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Claudia Sanhueza, Under–Secretary for International Economic Relations, to discuss the strength of Canada and Chile’s partnership and the importance of upholding the international rules-based order. Together, they signed a joint statement on deepening their collaboration in the promotion of inclusive and sustainable trade, including support of the green economy. 

Minister Ng met with Chile’s Minister of Mining, Marcela Hernando, and the Undersecretary of Mining, Willy Kracht, and published a joint statement between Canada and Chile to strengthen our 2 countries’ collaboration on critical minerals.

While in Santiago, Minister Ng also met with Chile’s Minister of Economy, Development and Tourism, Nicolás Grau, to discuss growing inclusive and green economies.

At Chile’s National Congress in Valparaíso, Minister Ng joined a group of parliamentarians to welcome Chile’s recent ratification of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and offer her support for further growing Canada-Chile trade relations.

While in Algarrobo, Chile, Minister Ng visited Oneka Technologies, a youth-owned and -led Quebec start-up that is developing a desalination system to turn sea water into fresh water by using the energy of ocean waves exclusively. This Canadian technology is providing a solution to water scarcity in Chile caused by climate change. Minister Ng announced $4.9 million in funding so that Oneka can continue to grow its Glacier utility-scale project in Chile.

The Minister also visited Summit Nanotech to launch its operations in Chile. Summit Nanotech is a woman-owned and -led start-up from Alberta testing its technologies with local mining companies to make lithium extraction cleaner and more efficient, transforming how the world accesses lithium for the green energy transition.

On behalf of Minister Ng, Parliamentary Secretary Soraya Martinez Ferrada spoke with a group of Indigenous women from Chile, who are members of the UN Women’s Originarias program, about the Government of Canada’s commitment to inclusive trade. She expressed Canada’s goal to ensure that the benefits of trade are more widely shared, including with groups historically under-represented in the economy and international trade, such as women and Indigenous peoples.

Throughout the mission, Minister Ng and Parliamentary Secretary Martinez Ferrada spent time with the Canadian delegates to learn about their ongoing and future potential initiatives in Chile. The trade mission connected Canadian businesses with more than 200 potential clients and created opportunities for greater collaboration.

Quotes

“Canada and Chile are more committed than ever to maintaining momentum achieved on this trade mission and continuing to build toward a more inclusive, innovative, and sustainable future. Canadian entrepreneurs and business owners who joined this mission had the opportunity to learn about new opportunities for growth and success in Chile’s green economy. The past 5 days have deepened the commitment between our countries to work together to address the most pressing challenges of today, including climate change.”

- Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development

Quick facts

  • In 2019, the modernized Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA) came into force. It contains Canada’s first trade and gender chapter in a free trade agreement. The Canada-Chile Agreement on Environmental Cooperation also provides a framework to enhance environmental cooperation and a mechanism to raise and resolve concerns about the effective enforcement of domestic environmental law.

  • In August 2020, Canada, Chile, and New Zealand signed the Global Trade and Gender Arrangement, which commits to an even broader approach to inclusive trade.

  • Bilateral merchandise trade between Canada and Chile has more than quadrupled since the CCFTA first came into force in 1997. Bilateral merchandise trade surpassed $3 billion for the first time in 2021 and reached $3.4 billion in 2022.

  • In 2022, Canada exported $1.1 billion worth of merchandise to Chile, making that country the fourth-largest export market for Canada in South America.

  • The stock of Canadian direct investment in Chile reached $22.4 billion in 2021, with a diversified portfolio in mining, energy, infrastructure, gas, water, chemicals, transportation, agriculture, and aquaculture, and storage and financial services (banking and insurance).

  • On May 22, 2022, Canada submitted a formal request to launch negotiations to join the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement, an innovative trade policy tool initiated by New Zealand, Chile, and Singapore to address global digital economy issues, such as artificial intelligence and digital inclusion.

  • In the first 3 years after the CPTPP entered into force, total merchandise trade between Canada and Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, and Vietnam (the 5 ratified CPTPP signatories without other trade agreements with Canada) grew by almost 10%—from $47.3 billion in 2018 to $52.1 billion in 2021.

  • Total exports from Canada to these 5 CPTPP markets grew 8.3% in the same period, outpacing the growth of Canada’s exports to the rest of the world.

  • Even with the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadian exports of dutiable products to these 5 CPTPP markets grew 6.9%, mostly because of increased exports to Japan. Meat products as well as wood and related products led the increase in exports of products with CPTPP tariff reductions.

  • Total imports by Canada from these 5 CPTPP markets grew 11.3% between 2018 and 2021, and imports of dutiable products from these markets increased 11.2%. The largest growth in dutiable imports came in apparel and clothing accessories, as well as furniture and bedding.

Associated links

Contacts

Shanti Cosentino
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development
343-576-4365
Shanti.Cosentino@international.gc.ca

Media Relations Office
Global Affairs Canada
media@international.gc.ca
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