Interview with Mr Francis Uy, Deputy Head, Consul and Senior Trade Commissioner, The Embassy of Canada to Finland

Mr Justin Trudeau has been the Prime Minister of Canada since 2015. How has the economy developed during the two last years and what are the prospects for the future?

Under Prime Minister Trudeau’s administration, there has been a great emphasis placed on the importance of Global Commerce and linkages between important markets.  The prime example of this is the CETA agreement with Sept 21 as the date targeted for provisional application.  Another priority for the Liberal government is the renewed emphasis on the CleanTech sector.  Both CETA and CleanTech provide excellent opportunities for Finnish companies.

Minister Mykkänen will visit Ottawa, Québec and Thunder Bay. Please, tell us three main facts that describe these places best.

Ottawa is the capital of Canada and is a two-hour drive to Montreal and four hours to Toronto.  Its main employers are government and the high-tech industry, and the city consistently ranks amongst the highest standard of living in North America.

Thunder Bay has one of the highest concentrations of Finnish-Canadians in Canada.
Québec is Canada's second most populous province after Ontario.  French is the official language of the province. The economy of Quebec represents roughly 20% of the total GDP of Canada.

Which kinds of business opportunities these places will offer Finnish companies?

Thunder Bay - Forestry, Bioeconomy, Cleantech
Ottawa - ICT, government procurement, defense, space observation

Quebec – BioEconomy, Forestry, Cleantech, ICT, Shipping, Defence, Space, Agrifood…  The province of Quebec is a very diversified economy and offers numerous diverse opportunities.

Please, tell us three things that the Finnish entrepreneur should consider when she/he meets with a Canadian businessman/woman?

Finnish and Canadian businesspeople generally find our cultures, values and business practices similar/complementary leading to productive business relationships.

Any other comments?

The Canadian Trade Commissioner Service is also available to assist Finnish companies with enquiries about partnerships with Canadian companies.

Mr Francis Uy was interviewed by Ms Anne Hatanpää, Secretary for the Finnish-Canadian Business Club https://kauppayhdistys.fi/finnish-canadian/