Minister Ng speaks with Anna Hallberg, Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Trade and Nordic Affairs

On Friday, January 15, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, spoke with Anna Hallberg, Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Trade and Nordic Affairs, to discuss Canada and Sweden’s close relationship and shared commitment to open, rules-based trade.

The ministers reaffirmed that free trade agreements, such as the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, are crucial in supporting Canadian and Swedish businesses as they engage in global markets and recover from the COVID-19 crisis.

Ministers Ng and Hallberg agreed that there is great potential to work together to promote and enlarge areas of mutual interest, such as the innovative high-technology sectors of clean technologies and green mining.

The ministers also discussed the need to foster opportunities for Canadian and Swedish businesses to grow, with a focus on sustainability and inclusivity to ensure economic prosperity for everyone. Minister Ng highlighted Canada’s work to include chapters on gender in the country’s free trade agreements and the importance of reducing barriers to trade for less-represented groups, especially Indigenous-led businesses.

Associated links

• COVID-19 and Canada’s international trade
• Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement
• Doing business in Sweden
• Recommendation 001/2018 of 26 September 2018 of the CETA Joint Committee on trade, climate action and the Paris Agreement