Ottawa, Ontario
3 November 2014
On November 3, 2014, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and President François Hollande announced the 2014-2015 Canada-France Joint Economic Action Plan.
The Joint Economic Action Plan stems from the Canada-France Enhanced Cooperation Agenda launched in 2013 and previous economic action plans dating back to 2006 that have served to strengthen historic bilateral trade and economic relations.
The 2014-2015 Canada-France Joint Economic Action Plan focuses on three key objectives:
- Supporting Canadian and French companies in business development and market access;
- Strengthening economic cooperation in competitiveness through cooperation in science and technology and innovation; and,
- Assisting businesses to take full advantage of the Canada-EU Trade Agreement.
Through this Action Plan, Canadian and French small and medium-sized enterprises and entrepreneurs will be supported in their drive for new export markets so that they can be prepared to benefit from new opportunities that will be brought on from the Canada-EU Trade Agreement and the removal of trade barriers.
Two-way merchandise trade between Canada and France was $8.5 billion in 2013. Canada's merchandise exports, valued at approximately $3.1 billion, consisted primarily of electrical and electronic machinery and equipment, mineral fuels and oils, mineral ores, aircraft and parts. Merchandise imports from France for the same year, which reached approximately $5.4 billion, were made up principally of machinery and equipment, beverages and spirits, pharmaceuticals, aircraft and parts, and electrical and electronic machinery and equipment.
France, as a member of the European Union, is a priority market under Canada's pro-trade and pro-export Global Markets Action Plan.
