Minister Ng to lead a Women’s Trade Mission to the United Kingdom

From: Global Affairs Canada

News release

February 6, 2023 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, will lead her first Women’s Trade Mission to the United Kingdom (U.K.) from March 13 to 16, 2023. The mission will focus on expanding trade between businesses owned and led by women in technology-based sectors such as clean technologies, information and communications technologies, and life sciences.

Increasing the participation of women-owned small and medium enterprises in international trade is a priority for the Government of Canada. Such increased participation will promote Canada’s economic growth and foster greater gender equality.


The U.K. is Canada’s largest export country market in Europe, and the 2 countries have a strong commercial relationship founded on shared history and values. In March 2022, Canada and the U.K. announced the start of negotiations toward an inclusive and sustainable Canada-United Kingdom free trade agreement that ensures everyone benefits from trade, including women, Indigenous peoples, Black and racialized entrepreneurs, 2SLGBTQIA+ people and youth.

For more information on the trade mission, and to register, see Women’s Canada Trade Mission to the United Kingdom.

Quotes

“One of the key factors in Canada’s economic resilience is the success of women-owned and women-led businesses. We’re taking the necessary steps for women to have greater access to technology-based opportunities in business, trade and investment abroad.”

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

Quick facts

  • The U.K. was Canada’s third-largest single-country trading partner for goods and services in 2021, with trade valued at $42.2 billion.

  • In 2021, Canada exported $24.1-billion worth of goods and services to the U.K. and imported $18.1-billion worth of goods and services.

  • Each year, some 3,700 Canadian companies—more than 92% of them small and medium enterprises—export goods to the U.K.

  • The U.K. is Canada’s second-largest bilateral trading partner, after the United States, in services, direct investment, and science, technology and innovation partnerships.

  • The Canada-United Kingdom Trade Continuity Agreement (Canada-U.K. TCA), which came into force on April 1, 2021, will remain in place over the course of the negotiations toward a new free trade agreement, providing continuity for Canadian and U.K. businesses alike.

  • The ongoing bilateral negotiations and the U.K.’s possible accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership present opportunities for Canada to further enhance its relationship with the U.K.

  • Canada and the U.K. cooperate closely in multilateral forums, including the G7, G20, WTO and Ottawa Group on WTO reform, to advance common interests and promote rules-based international trade.

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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