Team Canada Trade Mission to Japan

Date: October 29 to November 2, 2023
Venue: Multiple (TBC)
Location: Osaka and Tokyo with potential for another city (to be confirmed), Japan
Target Audience: Canadian export-ready small, medium and large-sized companies, including exporters from diverse backgrounds.
Sector: Agriculture and processed foods, Arts and cultural industries, Clean technologies, Industrial machinery, Information and communications technologies, Infrastructure, Life sciences

Event Description:

Indo-Pacific economies are the fastest growing in the world. Launched in November 2022, Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy creates opportunities to expand trade and investment, grow good jobs, and build supply chain resilience.  To help Canadian businesses gain a foothold in the region, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development will lead a Team Canada Trade Mission to open doors and connect Canadian businesses from across the country to new customers and partners.

Join Minister Ng, for an in-market Team Canada Trade Mission that will focus on opportunities for Canadian companies in Japan.

As a fellow G7 and like-minded partner, Japan is a priority market with which the Government of Canada wishes to deepen existing commercial relations. Canadian companies of all sizes have the opportunity to benefit from greater linkages to the Japanese economy, including through making important contributions to energy security and the transition to a net-zero economy.

The trade mission program will be tailored to areas of Canadian competitive advantage and will focus on the following sectors:

• priority sectors defined in Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy:  agriculture and processed foods, clean technologies, clean energy, green infrastructure, life sciences, and information and communications technologies.
• the creative industries sector will be supported by the Department of Canadian Heritage, as a Trade Commissioner Service partner under the Creative Export Strategy.

Trade mission participants will have the opportunity to explore in market business opportunities, gain insights into its business culture and landscape, and establish valuable connections with key government and industry representatives. Furthermore, they will have the advantage of leveraging the expertise and guidance of our knowledgeable Trade Commissioners, and engage with fellow Canadian firms that have already established strong business affiliations in Japan.

Who can participate?

Team Canada Trade Missions welcome export-ready Canadian companies of all sizes, including exporters from diverse backgrounds, with strong potential to address opportunities in Japan and generate tangible business outcomes.

Eligibility criteria

Organizations must:

• Be export-ready and have demonstrated potential to succeed in the Japanese market
• Have a commercialized product or service or one close to being commercialized
• Be able to demonstrate that the products and/or services they seek to promote through the trade mission will result in significant economic benefit for Canada (e.g. increased production in Canada, employment creation, technology transfer, increased R&D activity, etc.)
• Have conducted research on foreign markets and opportunities, especially preparatory work for the Japanese market
• Have a realistic and credible international business plan
• Have allocated resources (human, material, time, and financial) toward internationalization

Priority will be given to organizations that:

• Operate in the sectors identified above
• Identify as being owned by entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds (i.e. those that are traditionally underrepresented in trade – women, Indigenous Peoples, Black and other racialized entrepreneurs, 2SLGBTQI+ and youth).

Travel considerations and expenses

Before deciding to travel, please review the travel health notice for COVID-19 and international travel. No matter where you plan on travelling, make sure you check the Travel Advice and Advisories page for your destination twice: once when you are planning your trip and again shortly before you leave. Safety and security conditions may change between the date you book your travel and your departure date.

• Travel advice – Japan

Entry requirements

Your passport must be valid for 6 months from your date of entry into Japan and must contain at least two blank pages for use by immigration officials.

Travel arrangements and expenses

Participants are responsible for organizing their own travel arrangements, including all air and ground transportation to and from the airport, and to make their own accommodation reservations.

There is no fee to participate in the trade mission. However, participants are responsible for covering all related travel costs, including airfare, accommodations, ground transportation and meals not included in the program.

IMPORTANT: Please make sure to purchase cancellation insurance and/or a refundable ticket in the event that the trade mission dates change.

Funding programs

Canadian companies interested in participating in a trade mission may benefit from CanExport Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), a Trade Commissioner Service program that provides funding to help Canadian SMEs looking to diversify their export markets.

• CanExport intake is currently paused, but will re-open again shortly. Those interested in applying for funding through this program should review eligibility requirements. Familiarizing yourself with the Applicant’s Guide now will better prepare you to apply for funding for this trade mission or another international business project when the program reopens. Please consult the CanExport website for details.

The Government of Canada, as well as individual provincial and territorial governments, also offer a number of export financing and other programs that help Canadian businesses expand internationally.

Register to attend

All applications will be subject to a screening process to assess export readiness, eligibility and suitability.  In order to deliver a robust program that is beneficial to participating businesses, the Trade Commissioner Service reserves the right to select those Canadian export-ready companies that are the most aligned with the sectoral focus and the objectives of the mission.

We anticipate a high demand for participation in this mission.  In order to maximize the number of companies able to participate, a maximum of two company representatives can register for the trade mission. Some specific program elements may have capacity limits that may only allow for the attendance of one representative per company.

If you are selected to be part of the business delegation, you will be provided with a detailed program and additional resources to assist you in organizing your travel arrangements.

Submit your application by July 31, 2023, 17:00 E.D.T.

Questions? Please reach out to the Trade Missions Team or the Trade Commissioner Service.

Why your organization should participate:

• Develop a first-hand understanding of the opportunities and challenges of doing business in foreign markets
• Gain insights and market intelligence
• Meet key commercial entities, industry players, and potential buyers, investors and/or partners
• Participate in networking events
• Participate in pre-organized business to business meetings
• Receive on-the-ground assistance from the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service

Trade Commissioner(s) involvement:

Activities organized by the Trade Commissioner Service

• Business-to-business meetings
• Networking event
• Seminar
• Site visits

Services from the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service are offered free of charge to Canadian companies and organizations.