Women's participation in international trade is critical to supporting an inclusive and resilient Canadian economy.
The Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, concluded her first Women's Canada Trade Mission to the United Kingdom, where she was joined by nearly 40 Canadian women business leaders from a variety of sectors, including clean technology, information and communications technology and life sciences.
The trade mission demonstrates Canada's commitment to securing more trade and investment opportunities for Canadian women in international markets, including for Indigenous Peoples, visible minorities, youths and members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community.
In London, Minister Ng met with Kemi Badenoch, Secretary of State for Business and Trade, where they discussed working together to develop solutions to tackle climate change, promote jobs and investment and deepen the already strong ties between Canada and the United Kingdom.
In her meeting with Secretary Badenoch, Minister Ng noted the progress in the negotiations on the Canada-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement and Canada's support for the United Kingdom joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. She also discussed the progress in advancing WTO reform and the next steps in the Canada-United Kingdom Critical Minerals Supply Chains Dialogue.
Minister Ng visited United Kingdom companies with ties and investments in Canada. Minister Ng toured an iconic London double-decker bus fuelled by Canada-based company Ballard Power's hydrogen-powered fuel cell technology. She also visited the Marshall Group, an aerospace and defence company headquartered in Cambridge, where she met with Kathy Jenkins, CEO of the Marshall Group, to discuss support for women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
In Cambridge, Minister Ng delivered a keynote speech at the Cambridge Union and led a discussion on Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy and the importance of advancing inclusive trade to ensure that the benefits of trade are widely shared.
