Global Affairs Canada announced a November 3–6 China trip on November 2 as Ottawa seeks to diversify trade and expand market access for Canadian businesses.
A new ministerial visit to China
International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu will visit China from November 3 to 6, 2026, Global Affairs Canada announced Monday, November 2. In Beijing, Sidhu is scheduled to co-lead the Joint Economic and Trade Commission with China's commerce minister, Wang Wentao. Ottawa says the meeting will be held at ministerial level for the first time, providing a forum to discuss unresolved bilateral trade issues and potential areas for cooperation. The trip was announced but had not begun at the time of the release; planned meetings are not completed agreements.
Shanghai expo and export priorities
In Shanghai, Sidhu plans to meet investors, companies and officials at the China International Import Expo, where Canada is the guest country of honour. Ottawa identified agri-food, agriculture, energy, clean technology and consumer goods as areas of commercial interest. Such meetings can help Canadian businesses explore export opportunities, but the government did not announce named contracts arising from this future visit. New sales, agreements or commitments should be independently documented when they occur, rather than assumed from the event schedule.
How large is the existing trade relationship?
Global Affairs Canada reported Canada–China merchandise trade of $125.7 billion in 2025, with $35.0 billion in Canadian exports and $90.6 billion in imports. The minister said Canadian merchandise exports to China grew 31.4% to $21.5 billion in the first half of 2026. Those are published historical totals and a government-reported growth measure, not projections for the upcoming visit. China remains an important single-country trading partner, even as Canadian officials emphasize diversification and predictability amid wider geopolitical tensions.
Outcomes to monitor
Ottawa says the visit builds on Prime Minister Mark Carney's January 2026 trip to Beijing and Canada's stated objective of increasing exports to China by 50% by 2030. That longer-term target is a policy aspiration, not achieved trade growth. The next useful checks will be the commission's actual outcome, any trade restrictions or market-access measures announced, and verifiable commercial agreements. The original Global Affairs Canada release is linked below for readers seeking the schedule and official context.
Sources & transparency
Global Affairs Canada, November 2: Minister Sidhu trade mission to ChinaOriginal CDN News coverage. Sources are linked for reference.
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