Canada Accelerates Trade and Investment Partnerships at the G20 Summit

Prime Minister Carney advances new agreements, strengthens global alliances, and positions Canada for $1 trillion in investment

Johannesburg, South Africa — Prime Minister Mark Carney concluded his participation at the G20 Leaders’ Summit with a series of major economic, trade, and diplomatic announcements designed to strengthen Canada’s global competitiveness and diversify its international partnerships.

This year’s Summit — the first ever hosted on the African continent — brought together countries representing three-quarters of the world’s population, two-thirds of global GDP, and nearly three-quarters of global trade. For Canada, the gathering marked a turning point in the government’s effort to “move from reliance to resilience” by expanding non-U.S. exports and attracting new investment.

Canada–South Africa: New Investment, Energy, and Supply Chain Cooperation

South Africa, Canada’s largest trading partner on the continent, was a central focus of the Prime Minister’s visit. In a meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa, both leaders advanced major commercial and strategic initiatives, including:

• Launch of discussions toward a Canada–South Africa Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA) to strengthen two-way investment

• Conclusion of negotiations on the Canada–South Africa Nuclear Cooperation Agreement, establishing a framework for collaboration in clean energy

• Recognition of FinDev Canada’s new regional office opening in Cape Town in 2026

• South Africa’s public endorsement of the G7 Critical Minerals Action Plan, enabling deeper partnership on secure mineral supply chains

• Agreement that Canada will welcome a South African trade mission in 2026 to attend the Ag in Motion agricultural innovation fair in Saskatchewan

G20 nations represent three quarters of the world’s population and trade.

At the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, we’re working to unlock new opportunities between our nations to build more, trade more, and create more certainty and prosperity. pic.twitter.com/fGe37zINgc

— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) November 23, 2025

Advancing Global Supply Chain Strategy: CPTPP–EU Integration

Prime Minister Carney also held a trilateral meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính, incoming CPTPP Chair, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The leaders agreed to pursue deeper integration between the CPTPP and the European Union — two of the world’s largest trading blocs, representing a combined market of more than one billion consumers.

The Prime Minister instructed his Personal Representative to the EU, John Hannaford, to begin intensive engagement aimed at delivering early progress in 2026.

Canada, Australia, India Launch Trilateral Tech Partnership

On the margins of the Summit, Canada, Australia, and India announced a new trilateral partnership focused on technology, innovation, critical minerals, clean energy, and artificial intelligence. The initiative is expected to enhance supply chain resilience and support shared Indo-Pacific and global economic priorities.

Promoting Canada’s Economic Strengths to Global Industry and Investors

Throughout the Summit, Prime Minister Carney met with government and business leaders to highlight Canada’s advantages in:

• Clean and conventional energy

• Critical minerals

• Artificial intelligence

• Advanced manufacturing

• Agri-food

The Prime Minister emphasized Canada’s plan to unleash $1 trillion in new investment over the next five years, which he described as essential to Canada’s economic transformation.

New Global Financing and Health Commitments

As part of Canada’s G7 Presidency, the Prime Minister announced new Canadian financial loans and capital to partner countries, advancing infrastructure, clean energy, AI, innovation, and wildfire and disaster response capabilities.

Canada also pledged $1 billion to the Global Fund, supporting efforts to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria worldwide.

Meetings with Key Global Leaders

Prime Minister Carney held discussions with multiple heads of state and global institutions, including:

• President Emmanuel Macron (France)

• Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Norway)

• Chancellor Friedrich Merz (Germany)

• Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (United Kingdom)

• President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (Türkiye)

• Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (Italy)

• WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Topics ranged from critical minerals cooperation to supply chain stability, global security, AI regulation, climate policy, and international development.

Largest Investment Commitment in Canadian History

The Summit followed the Prime Minister’s official visit to the United Arab Emirates, where Canada secured an unprecedented $70-billion foreign investment commitment — the largest in Canadian history — reinforcing Canada’s strategy to attract global capital.

Prime Minister’s Statement

“Canada’s new government is building new partnerships, diversifying trade, and unleashing $1 trillion in new investment over the next five years. At the G20 Leaders’ Summit, Canada accelerated cooperation in critical minerals, AI, and energy, made investments to protect global health, and focused on creating transformative new opportunities for Canadian workers and businesses.”

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