Canada trade minister to visit Vietnam and Singapore

Canadian Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu will visit Singapore from February 9 to 10 to attend the Canada-in-Asia Conference, before travelling to Vietnam from February 11 to 12. The visit aims to deepen trade and investment cooperation as Canada broadens its partnerships across the Asia-Pacific region.

The visit will advance Canada’s trade ties with Vietnam and Singapore, two key partners in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), promoting the agreement and reinforcing Canada’s support for Vietnam’s priorities as the 2026 CPTPP Commission Chair.

In Singapore, Sidhu will meet business leaders, investors, and government officials from Canada and across Asia, highlighting Canada’s commitment to strengthening economic partnerships and advancing trade priorities in Southeast Asia.

In Vietnam, he will hold discussions with government representatives and business leaders from both countries, aiming to reinforce Canada’s role as a reliable partner in trade, investment, and economic cooperation.

“ASEAN is a cornerstone of Canada’s Indo-Pacific trade strategy and one of the world’s fastest-growing economic regions,” said Sidhu. “Through closer engagement with partners across ASEAN, including Singapore and Vietnam, Canada aims to expand trade and investment links that support job creation, market access, and sustainable economic growth.”

The Indo-Pacific is Canada’s second-largest regional merchandise export market, after the United States, with annual two-way merchandise trade valued at $262 billion in 2024. Vietnam is Canada’s largest merchandise trading partner in the ASEAN region. In 2024, Canada-Vietnam merchandise trade totalled $15.7 billion, up from $14 billion in 2023. The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership has been in force in Vietnam since January 2019.

Meanwhile, Singapore is Canada’s largest source of foreign investment from Southeast Asia. In 2024, investment from Singapore to Canada totalled $7.8 billion and Canadian direct investment in Singapore totalled $22 billion.

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