Minister Ng celebrates successful Team Canada Trade Mission to Japan

November 2, 2023 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development has concluded her first full-scale Team Canada Trade Mission to Osaka and Tokyo, Japan. The mission– a key initiative under Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy – connected Canadian exporters and innovators from across the country with key business players in Japan and fostered long-term opportunities for Canadian businesses in the Japanese market.

Following a productive G7 Trade Ministers’ Meeting in Osaka, Minister Ng welcomed more than 240 people, representing more than 160 Canadian organizations from a range of priority sectors, including clean technologies, information and communications technologies, agriculture and creative industries, among others. Over the course of 4 days, Minister Ng connected with Canadian trade mission delegates and Japanese businesses. She also hosted several events aimed at strengthening collaboration between Canada and Japan.

During a tour led by Iwatani Corporation of Hy touch Kobe, a liquefied hydrogen terminal and storage facility managed by the Japanese consortium HySTRA (Hydrogen Energy Supply-chain Technology Research Association), Minister Ng emphasized Canada as a responsible and reliable energy security partner for Japan. In Osaka, she also promoted Canada as a potential investment destination while touring a Panasonic Energy battery cell factory and, at a business networking reception, spoke to a group of over 200 business leaders from western Japan. Minister Ng completed her time in Osaka by attending a presentation on the Canada Pavilion for Expo 2025 Osaka where dignitaries and media got a first look at the pavilion’s design concept.

Minister Ng officially launched the Tokyo portion of the trade mission by hosting a Team Canada reception for delegates to meet with local business contacts and government officials. She was accompanied by the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, and Nishimura Yasutoshi, Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry.

While in Tokyo, Minister Ng also held her first meeting with Shindō Yoshitaka, Japan’s new Minister in charge of Economic Revitalization to discuss Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), implementation and Canada’s plans for hosting the CPTPP Commission in 2024. 

Minister Ng highlighted opportunities for Canadian and Japanese businesses to collaborate at a chief executive officer round table with representatives of the Business Council of Canada and the Japan Association of Corporate Executives, as well as at a separate event with the Japan Business Federation.

At the Japan-Canada Chambers Council’s annual meeting, co-chaired by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Minister Ng joined Tsuji Kiyoto, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, in providing remarks on the current state of Canada-Japan bilateral relations. Minister Ng also emphasized the significance of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy for Canada’s enhanced long-term engagement in the region. Finally, she promoted collaboration between Canadian companies and start-ups at Toppan Digital Incorporated, a company under the Toppan Group that provides a broad range of products and services using its proprietary printing technologies.

Minister Ng closed out the Team Canada Trade Mission to Japan at a gathering with Canadian delegates, where she encouraged them to build on the momentum of the trade mission by fostering the connections made in Japan, one of Canada’s top trading partners.