Team Canada Trade Mission to Japan

As part of Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development will lead a Team Canada Trade Mission to Japan to help Canadian exporters and innovators from across the country position themselves in this market by showcasing their capabilities and competitiveness and facilitate long-term trade and investment opportunities.

Event details

Team Canada Trade Missions (TCTM) are Minister-led, enhanced trade missions to the Indo-Pacific region tied to Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy. These trade missions will prioritize innovation sectors and seek to open doors for Canadian companies, from large and diverse businesses to SMEs led by groups traditionally underrepresented in trade, such as women, Indigenous Peoples, Black and other racialized Canadians, 2SLGBTQI+ and youth.

Dates:  Sunday, October 29 – Thursday, November 2, 2023

Market:  Osaka and Tokyo, Japan

Sectors:  The trade mission program will be tailored to areas of Canadian competitive advantage and will focus on the following sectors:

• priority sectors defined in Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy:  agriculture and processed foods, clean technologies, clean energy, green infrastructure, life sciences, and information and communications technologies.
• creative industries sector, supported by the Department of Canadian Heritage, a Trade Commissioner Service partner under the Creative Export Strategy.

Format:  In-market

Registration deadline:  Registration is closed

Why are Team Canada Trade Missions targeting the Indo-Pacific region?

The Indo-Pacific region is rapidly emerging as the global center of economic dynamism and strategic importance. It currently accounts for over one-third of the world's economic activity. By 2030, the region is expected to become home to two-thirds of the global middle class, and by 2040 projected to make up over half of the global economy. These remarkable statistics highlight the significance of the Indo-Pacific region for Canadian companies, offering unparalleled opportunities for expansion, market exploration, and strategic partnerships.

Launched in November 2022, Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy seeks to expand and deepen Canada's existing partnerships in the region.  One of the five strategic objectives of the Strategy is to expand trade, investment and supply chain resilience, including through expanding our trade network at home and abroad, paving the way for long-term growth and prosperity. As one of the key initiatives under the objective, Team Canada Trade Missions to the Indo-Pacific is an opportunity for Canadian companies to reinforce their reputation for adopting and modelling international best practices.

Why Japan?

As one of the most important economies in the region and globally, and as the largest economy in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Japan is an ideal market for Canadian businesses to export to and an ideal destination for one of Canada's Team Canada Trade Missions to the Indo-Pacific.

• Canada and Japan enjoy a strong and diverse commercial relationship covering trade, investment, innovation and S&T that is underpinned by the CPTPP, the bilateral Six Shared Priorities and the new initiatives and commitments under Canada's Indo Pacific Strategy.
• Canadian exports of goods to Japan was almost $18 billion in 2022, exceeding the value of imports from Japan. 
• In 2022, Japan was Canada's largest source of bilateral foreign direct investment (FDI, ultimate investor country basis) from the Indo-Pacific and the third largest overall. The FDI stock from Japan into Canada was valued at $40.7 billion in 2022.
• Both countries work closely together at the World Trade Organization to defend and promote an effective, open, inclusive, and rules-based trading system.

Canadian companies of all sizes can benefit from greater linkages to the Japanese economy, including through making important contributions to energy security and the transition to a net-zero economy.

Opportunities for Canadian companies

As a nation that is highly dependent on imports to maintain its industrial activity and feed its population, Japan is sensitive to economic security concerns. Canada, with its significant natural resource assets and food export capacity, is well-positioned to be a strategic partner that offers reliable supplies that are vital to Japanese industry and households. Canada is well placed to address Japanese concerns about - and attract investment in – energy, critical minerals, food and advanced technologies.

Japanese companies and research institutions frequently seek international partnerships to develop new technologies, particularly in the renewable energy, ICT, biotech, and advanced manufacturing sectors, creating opportunities for collaboration, technology transfer and joint R&D. Canada's strengths in these areas represent potential investment opportunities that may not be well known among Japanese investors.

The following opportunities in Japan present the greatest potential for Canadian companies:

Agriculture & processed foods: Japan is a net food importer with the lowest food security self-sufficiency rate in the G7 (38% in 2022). Japan is also Canada's 3rd largest market for agriculture products, with agriculture exports valued at $5.4 billion in 2022. Canada maintains a high market share in Japan for commodities such as canola seed, wheat, and pork. Japan is also an important market for Canadian beef, soybeans, and fish and seafood such as lobster and crab, especially in light of tariff reductions from the CPTPP and Canada gaining access to processed beef exports to Japan in March 2023. There are also significant opportunities for Canadian processed food and beverage companies, particularly those with organic, health conscious, functional food, or nutraceutical products.

Clean technology:  Japan is looking for technologies that contribute to its efforts of decarbonisation. Opportunities exist for innovations related to plastic recycling, waste-to-gas, biofuels and technologies that improve energy efficiency.

Creative Industries: Creative exports to Japan have tripled since 2010 and remain as one of Canada's consistently growing markets. It is one of the few markets where Canada has experienced export growth between 2019-20, despite overall export losses experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Energy:  Japan relies on imported fossil fuels for approximately 85 percent of its energy needs. As the second largest exporter of propane to Japan, Canada is seen as a stable and reliable energy supplier. Japanese companies have shown interest in LNG and ammonia imports. Major Japanese companies have shown strong interest in developing hydrogen and ammonia for export from Western Canada.  

Information and Communications Technology (ICT):  Japan is the world's third largest ICT market. Connected vehicles, digital media, artificial intelligence, fintech, Internet of Things (IoT), cybersecurity, quantum computing, semiconductors, and next-generation networks are areas of significant opportunity for Canadian companies.

Life Sciences:  Japan has the third largest pharmaceutical and second largest medical device market in the world with health care expenditures growing 3% annually. Pharmaceuticals, medical devices and digital health present strong opportunities for licensing, foreign direct investment (FDI) and science, technology and innovation (STI). The growing number of bilateral dialogues and partnerships between Japanese companies and Canadian research networks and start-up companies, particularly in areas of unmet medical needs and digital solutions for therapy, diagnostics and health monitoring, demonstrate potential for STI, trade and FDI.

Program

The in-market program will visit commercial regions in Japan and may include:

• networking opportunities with Minister Ng and Japanese business leaders
• on-site business briefings by our Trade Commissioners, senior officials, and key local industry players
• market overviews
• business meetings and/or round tables with local industry and experts
• site visits (where applicable)

Note:  The Trade Commissioner Service is working in collaboration with the Department of Canadian Heritage to develop sector-specific programming for creative industries. Selection of companies in this sector and on-the-ground support will be managed by the International Trade Operations team at the Department of Canadian Heritage.

Travel considerations and expenses

Before deciding to travel, please review the travel health notice for COVID-19 and international travel. No matter where you plan on travelling, make sure you check the Travel Advice and Advisories page for your destination twice: once when you are planning your trip and again shortly before you leave. Safety and security conditions may change between the date you book your travel and your departure date.

• Travel advice – Japan

Entry requirements

Your passport must be valid for 6 months from your date of entry into Japan and must contain at least two blank pages for use by immigration officials.

Travel arrangements and expenses

Programming and travel details (such as in-country transportation options and hotel block bookings) will be shared with confirmed participants as information becomes available. Participants are responsible for organizing their own travel arrangements, including all air and ground transportation to and from the airport, and to make their own accommodation reservations using the provided hotel room blocks.

There is no fee to participate in the trade mission. However, participants are responsible for covering all related travel costs, including airfare, accommodations, ground transportation and meals not included in the program.

Please make sure to purchase cancellation insurance and/or a refundable ticket in the event that the trade mission dates change.

Funding programs

Canadian companies interested in participating in a trade mission may benefit from CanExport Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), a Trade Commissioner Service program that provides funding to help Canadian SMEs looking to diversify their export markets.

• Those interested in applying for funding through this program should review eligibility requirements. Familiarizing yourself with the Applicant's Guide now will better prepare you to apply for funding for this trade mission or another international business project. Please consult the CanExport website for details.  

The Government of Canada, as well as individual provincial and territorial governments, also offer a number of export financing and other programs that help Canadian businesses expand internationally.

Who can participate?

Team Canada Trade Missions welcome export-ready Canadian companies of all sizes, including exporters from diverse backgrounds, with strong potential to address opportunities in Japan and generate tangible business outcomes.

Eligibility criteria

Organizations must:

• Be export-ready and have demonstrated potential to succeed in the Japanese market
• Have a commercialized product or service or one close to being commercialized
• Be able to demonstrate that the products and/or services they seek to promote through the trade mission will result in significant economic benefit for Canada (e.g. increased production in Canada, employment creation, technology transfer, increased R&D activity, etc.)
• Have conducted research on foreign markets and opportunities, especially preparatory work for the Japanese market
• Have a realistic and credible international business plan
• Have allocated resources (human, material, time, and financial) toward internationalization

Priority will be given to organizations that:

• Operate in the priority sectors identified under Event details above
• Identify as being owned by entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds (i.e. those that are traditionally underrepresented in trade – women, Indigenous Peoples, Black and other racialized entrepreneurs, 2SLGBTQI+ and youth).

Interested in the Japan market, but unsure whether you are ready for this opportunity?

Take the Export Quiz

Register

Registration is closed

All applications will be subject to a screening process to assess export readiness, eligibility and suitability.  In order to deliver a robust program that is beneficial to participating businesses, the Trade Commissioner Service reserves the right to select those Canadian export-ready companies that are the most aligned with the sectoral focus and the objectives of the mission.

We anticipate a high demand for participation in this mission.  In order to maximize the number of companies able to participate, a maximum of two company representatives can register for the trade mission. Some specific program elements may have capacity limits that may only allow for the attendance of one representative per company.

If you are selected to be part of the business delegation, you will be provided with a detailed program and additional resources to assist you in organizing your travel arrangements.

Key contacts

Questions? Please reach out to the Trade Missions Team or the Trade Commissioner Service.