The Honourable Maninder Sidhu, Minister of International Trade, and more than 100 business organizations and over 180 business delegates from Canada travelled to Seoul as part of the second Team Canada Trade Mission to the Republic of Korea. The mission enabled Canadian businesses to forge new partnerships, supported Canada's trade diversification agenda and advanced Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy.
While in Seoul, Minister Sidhu met with senior Canadian and Korean business leaders and showcased Canada's strengths in supply chain integration and its appeal as an investment destination for Korean companies looking to expand into the North American market. The Minister also met with several of the largest Korean conglomerates to position Canada as an investment destination and an innovation partner of choice. He spoke about future mobility partnerships with Hyundai Motor Group and discussed the electric vehicles battery ecosystem with LG Energy Solutions.
Ahead of co‑chairing a strategic energy security dialogue with senior Canadian and Korean energy and natural resources executives, Minister Sidhu met with Kim Jung‑Kwan, the Republic of Korea's Minister of Trade, Industry and Resources, to discuss strong bilateral trade momentum under the Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement and the Canada-Korea Industrial Cooperation Committee, as well as opportunities for new collaboration in priority sectors. Minister Sidhu highlighted Canada's role as a reliable partner in energy and food security and high‑value investment, aligned with Canada's Indo‑Pacific Strategy. He also met again with Yeo Han‑Koo, the Republic of Korea's Trade Minister, shortly after their discussion on the margins of the WTO's 14th Ministerial Conference in Cameroon, where both ministers reaffirmed their commitment to working closely together to protect and advance the rules‑based international trade system that underpins shared prosperity and economic growth.
Throughout the week, Minister Sidhu visited Korean businesses that have collaborated with Canadian companies in the clean technology, aerospace, defence and life sciences sectors. He highlighted Canadian leadership through:
- CAE's renewed pilot-training agreement in Seoul
- Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-Pharma Manufacturers Association's Self-Driving Laboratory featuring technology from Vancouver-based company Telescope Innovations, which enables artificial-intelligence-driven automation for pharmaceutical research and development
Partnerships with Canadian and Korean business organizations was a key deliverable from the trade mission. Minister Sidhu witnessed the signing of nine connections, including:
- Agreement between MultiChain Advisors and CertiK
- Partnership between Prairie Lithium (Canada) and Hydro Lithium (Korea)
- Partnership betweenDestination Canada and MyRealTrip
- Canadian direct investment in Korea: Investment by ANYLOAD Weigh & Measure in its Korean subsidiary
- Partnership between ZeroKey (Canada) and Inatech (Korea)
- Partnership between ZeroKey (Canada) and Ascen Korea
- Memorandum of understanding between GreenHat Security (Canada) and INBLOCK (Korea)
- Memorandum of understanding between GreenHat Security (Canada) and Taegwang Law Firm
- Non-disclosure agreement between ASAsoft Canada and DSI Co., Ltd.
He also witnessed the signing of the first financial transaction between Export Development Canada and SK ecoplant, a subsidiary of SK Group, which will help Canadian companies establish partnerships with this leading Korean conglomerate.
The Team Canada Trade Mission to Korea deepened strategic partnerships and built momentum for delegates to further the relationships generated over the week. Canada will continue to work with Korean partners to drive shared prosperity, strengthen economic resilience and expand opportunities for Canadian businesses across the Indo-Pacific region.
