Gold Jubilee brings forth a year teeming with new initiatives to stimulate trade
Montreal, April 10, 2023 – The Chamber of Commerce Brazil-Canada (CCBC) is celebrating 50 years of success in connecting Canadian businesses with the Brazilian market, serving as a bridge between government and private/public institutions. Shining in its role to help Brazilian companies to establish roots in Canada, the CCBC’s efforts led more than 500 corporations to participate in missions and seize opportunities of expansion here in the Great White North.
Coinciding with this gold jubilee, the CCBC is thrilled to announce the timely addition of Canadian diplomat Stephane Larue, as the new President of the Chamber in Canada. Mr. Larue brings six years of experience in Brazilian affairs for having served as Canada’s Consul General in São Paulo from 2013 to 2019. With a master’s degree in international relations from the University of Ottawa, Larue has been a Canadian diplomat since 1989. His deep knowledge of Brazil combined to his passion for the country makes him an asset to both markets.
“I am honoured to be appointed to this position,” says Mr. Larue. “Thanks to several significant business deals, the trade balance data between both countries has shown a strong growth in bilateral relations in recent years. Some noteworthy deals include the new Embraer aircraft supply contract for Porter Airlines and the increase in Canadian fertilizer purchases. This is an exciting time for Canada and Brazil, and I’m excited to be leading a dynamic team that benefits companies on both sides of the border.”
It’s an important time for the Chamber, since 2022 brought in the highest volume of trade between Brazil and Canada in history, with exports and imports reaching US$5.3 billion and US$5.1 billion, respectively, totalling 10.4 billion in the trade balance.“We are proud to see that our contribution generated results that have had a significant impact in the trade balance,” explains Paulo de Castro Reis, CCBC’s Director of Institutional Relations. “Last year was marked by major events and trade missions in various strategic sectors organized by the Chamber, enabling corporations and investors from Brazil to not only learn about the Canadian innovation ecosystem, but actually sign new partnerships and commercial agreements.”A program that has been proving highly successful is the CCBC Brazil Hub in Canada, which now has two locations — Montreal and Edmonton. It has allowed the Chamber to leverage partnerships with organizations such as Invest Alberta, the government agency responsible for attracting investments and projects to the Canadian province, Investissement Quebec, and Mitacs, a Canadian agency that operates in the development of scientific research linked to industrial and social innovation.
These agreements are already opening doors for Brazilian companies to set up and develop innovative solutions on Canadian soil, promoting local industries while creating employment. Some of the sectors that are expected to be part of these initiatives include artificial intelligence, technologies for agriculture, clean energy, mining, industrial project optimization, and technologies for smart cities, among others.
Six trade missions are scheduled to take place in 2023: starting with the success of the recent PDAC mining convention in Toronto where the Chamber, alongside Invest Alberta and Edmonton Global, announced the introduction of Brainiall, an AI technology company focused on optimizing processes while increasing operational efficiency and reducing carbon footprint. The calendar continues with missions to the World Summit AI Americas (technology), SIAL (food and beverage), C2 Montreal (innovation in business), Collision (technology), and Health Innovation (health), among other events such as webinars, summits and more.
Opportunity for Canadian companies
The CCBC offers the same services to Canadian companies that wish to expand to Brazil. With a population five times larger than Canada’s and the 12th largest global economy (GDP), Brazil offers unique growth opportunities for established businesses. Thanks to the Canada Hub located in Sao Paulo, a city known for cultural, economic and political influence and the gateway to doing business in Brazil, Canadian businesses can enter the market with the assistance of a team of local experts, to successfully launch into the country’s ecosystem.
About Chamber of Commerce Brazil-Canada:
The Chamber of Commerce Brazil-Canada (CCBC) is an independent and non-profit organization founded in 1973. For 50 years, it has been an important liaison, bringing together companies, public & private institutions, and individuals
Learn more at: ccbc.org.br
