Global Affairs Canada

This internal audit is about the Trade Commissioner Service (TCS) regional operations. The objective of the audit was to determine whether there is an effective management framework in place to support service delivery and the achievement of the TCS’s strategic objectives in the Regional Offices...

This report looks into how trade barriers affect the participation of women-owned small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in exporting. In order to understand the reasons underlying those findings, this report analyzes the gender differences in selected business characteristics of SMEs, namely size,...

This report presents an analysis of majority women-owned, equally owned and men-owned small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that export. Prior research found that women-owned SMEs were underrepresented amongst exporters. The implications are that businesses owned by women would not benefit as much...

The COVID-19 pandemic has renewed interest in international supply chains. While international supply chains proved to be very robust in the pandemic period of closed borders, restrictions on movement of people and goods, and closures of businesses, the pandemic proved the need for better tools,...

In order to analyze the vulnerability and risks of a supply chain disruption to Canada, it is important to understand where Canada and Canadian firms fit into GVCs. On the one hand, if Canada’s production mainly happens at the beginning—or upstream—of a GVC, the primary concern would be a...

There have been many studies that examine the Canada-U.S. trade relationship; this is deservedly so as the U.S. is Canada’s dominant trading partner. In 2018, the minister of international trade diversification announced a target to increase overseas exports by 50% by 2025.Footnote1 China is the...

Following the outbreak of COVID-19, global supply chains are at the risk of major disruptions. This report provides a cursory analysis of products that have limited international supply for Canada. These products could be especially susceptible and may require extra attention from policy makers...

Largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada’s merchandise trade —and merchandise trade around the world—has been volatile in the last two years. Business closures to control the spread of the virus, shifts in spending patterns, volatile commodity prices, and lingering supply chain issues have...

Stay apprised of Canada’s economy and benefits – 3 editions per year

This report reviews of the characteristics of Indigenous small and medium enterprises (SMEs) involved in international trade, and identifies opportunities for enhanced federal policy and program design to support Indigenous business performance in international markets. Exporting is one of the...

Canada has a large, diverse, and highly educated immigrant population that makes an important contribution to the Canadian economy. This study examines the contribution of immigrant-led businesses to Canada’s export performance and study find that Canada’s foreign-born population is more...

This paper builds on the previous limited supply products study and provides an updated framework for identifying Canadian imports that are vulnerable to foreign disruptions. Several limitations from the previous study are addressed, including the consideration of domestic production capacity and...

Find out how exports need to grow to achieve Canada's objective.

This study focuses on the diversity of merchandise and commercial services exports by destination. Export diversity is important to hedge against the risk of an economic downturn in partner economies, but it also helps to protect against the threat of trade protectionism. Protectionism is...

Canada’s Export Diversification Strategy facilitates efforts to help Canadian businesses reduce the uncertainties and potential disruptions they may face in international trade, as well as help them seize the opportunities created by diversifying to new global markets.

This paper explores the volatility of foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows coming into Canada, and how some increases which may seem extremely significant, such as the 64% growth in flows from 2017 to 2018, can be misinterpreted without proper context and a broader, historical view of FDI flows.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) released its January Global Investment Trends Monitor report providing preliminary estimates for inward foreign direct investment (FDI) flows in 2020. This summary compares these annual results with those of the first half of 2020...

Understand how small and medium-sized enterprises may expand Canadian SMEs business footprint by accessing global markets.

The Canada-European Union (EU) Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA or Agreement) is a comprehensive agreement that covers virtually all sectors and aspects of Canada-EU trade. The Agreement provisionally entered into force on September 21, 2017, and has eliminated or reduced barriers...

In this study only merchandise trade will be considered. This is partly due to data constraints, and partly because most services, especially those that can be delivered digitally, are assumed to be minimally affected by transportation disruptions.Footnote1 For both imports (upstream supply) and...