São Paulo, Brazil – Prime Minister Stephen Harper today joined business leaders from major Canadian companies who conduct business in Brazil for a roundtable to discuss business prospects between the two countries. Moderated by the Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, the roundtable provided a forum for the Canadian Government to hear about opportunities to expand economic ties between Canada and Brazil. 

“I am here today to listen to and seek the views of senior Canadian business people so that our Government can further support them as they build commercial relationships in Brazil,” said the Prime Minister. “Increased opportunities in other markets, including Brazil, will translate into more jobs and a stronger economy for all Canadians.”

This roundtable allowed for frank and open discussions on a variety of issues and opportunities facing Canadian businesses and stakeholders, representing a broad range of sectors such as transport, information and communications technologies, oil and gas equipment and services, mining, financial services and education.  During the discussions, representatives from Canadian companies highlighted to the Prime Minister how Brazil is a strategic location for their global operations. 

In 2010, bilateral trade between Canada and Brazil reached $5.9 billion. That same year, Brazil was Canada’s eighth largest foreign investor with $13.5 billion in cumulative investment. Brazil was also the 11th-largest recipient of Canadian direct investment abroad, with a total of $9.7 billion in cumulative investment.

As part of the steps taken by the Government to facilitate trade and investment between Canada and Brazil, Prime Minister Harper also announced today the opening of three new Visa Application Centres in Brazil, which will facilitate the process for Brazilians applying for Canadian visas and help make Canada a preferred destination for business, study and leisure.  The three new centres – located in Brasília, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro – will open later this month.



Backgrounder

Business Roundtable with Canadian Representatives

On August 9, Prime Minister Stephen Harper joined stakeholders and senior business leaders from major Canadian companies for a roundtable in São Paulo to discuss business prospects between Canada and Brazil.  Moderated by the Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, the roundtable provided a forum for the Government to hear about opportunities to improve economic ties between Canada and Brazil.

This roundtable allowed for frank and open discussions on a variety of issues and opportunities facing Canadian businesses and stakeholders, representing a broad range of sectors such as transport, information and communications technologies, oil and gas equipment and services, mining, financial services and education.  During the discussions, representatives from Canadian companies spoke to the Prime Minister about their experiences in Brazil and highlighted how Brazil is a strategic location for their global operations. 

Canada is known for its world-class companies operating in industries such as construction, transportation and infrastructure development.  As Brazil prepares to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and to modernize its overall infrastructure, Canadian companies are well positioned to share their expertise.  Business opportunities in Brazil also exist in areas such as aerospace, clean technology and life sciences.

In order to assist Canadian companies, Canadian trade commissioners in Brazil are proactively engaged in seeking potential investment prospects, specifically targeting high-growth companies in sectors that would benefit Canada. 

In the last few years, the Government has expanded its presence in Brazil by opening two new trade offices in Porto Alegre and Recife, and by increasing the number of trade officials in the Embassy in Brasilia and Consulates in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.  Canada also has a long-standing trade office in Belo Horizonte.

Brazil’s economy, which is the largest in Latin America, was estimated to be the world’s seventh largest in 2010.  In that same year, Canada-Brazil bilateral merchandise trade reached $5.9 billion and the stock of Brazil’s foreign direct investment in Canada was valued at $13.5 billion.  Brazil was the 11th largest recipient of Canadian direct investment abroad, with a cumulative total of $9.7 billion in 2010. 



Canadian Visa Application Centres

On August 9, Prime Minister Harper also announced the opening of three new Visa Application Centres in Brasília, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The new centres – which are a key element in Canada’s efforts to strengthen its engagement in the Americas – aim to make applying for Canadian visas more convenient and help position Canada as a preferred destination for business, study and leisure.

Visa Application Centre agents are available to help applicants fill out their forms and answer questions about the application process. They ensure that applications are complete, which reduces the rate of returned applications and ultimately leads to faster processing. This low-cost service also lessens the potential for people to fall victim to fraud.

Visa Application Centres send applications to Visa offices and transmit decisions to applicants in a confidential manner, which eliminates the need for applicants to queue at the offices.

Canada currently has Visa Application Centres in 20 countries: Algeria, Armenia, Bangladesh, China, Guinea, Kazakhstan, Kenya, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Mongolia, Moldova, Nepal, Philippines, Romania, Russian Federation, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Uganda and Vietnam.

In addition to the three new Application Centres in Brazil, six more centres are scheduled to open in August 2011: Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Peru and Venezuela. Eight other centres are scheduled to open in September 2011: Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay and Uruguay.