Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s popularity is still high. The next elections will be challenging for the opposition. It is expected by many that Mr Trudeau will win the elections in 2019.

Negotiations on cooperation with the provinces and the federal government are going on.  The aim is to have better functioning internal market in Canada.

Canada supports free trade agreements. Canada’s goals for ‘progressive’ NAFTA (free trade agreement between the USA, Canada and Mexico) include labour and environmental standards, gender equality.

CETA (The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement) eases directly and indirectly trade between Canada and the EU. CETA will make it easier to export goods and services, work temporarily in Canada and receive visas and work permits and allow companies to take part in competitions in public tendering. Enterprises should familiarize themselves with the benefits that they can receive, when the provisional application of CETA starts on September 21.

Canada and Finland are both Northern and Arctic countries. Canada is a big market. Provincial structures and regulations differ from each other and that might disturb companies. If you do your homework well and use the short-, middle- and long-term opportunities for expanding your business, Canada will offer you many business opportunities.

All forms of renewable energy, cleantech, mining, forestry, telecommunications, e-health and education are sectors where Finnish companies would find business opportunities.

Mr Kai Mykkänen, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development of Finland will visit Canada on October 9 – 13, 2017. Read more about the visit: http://bit.ly/2wfUBMt

Members of the Finnish-Canadian Business Club met with Mr Vesa Lehtonen, Ambassador of Finland to Canada and Mr Jarno Valkeapää, Counsellor, Commercial and Trade Affairs, Embassy of Finland at WTC Helsinki on 25th August 2017.
Text: Ms Anne Hatanpää, Secretary for the Finnish-Canadian Business club