The 10th business mission organized by AEP – Associação Empresarial de Portugal, aims to facilitate ten national companies to explore commercial opportunities between Vancouver and Toronto until Saturday.
“The ongoing economic war and the tariffs announced by the Trump administration are diverting the focus of many Portuguese companies. Canada, due to its stability and openness, has become even more attractive,” stated Sandra Silva, AEP’s market manager, in an interview.
The mission is part of the BOW — Portugal Business On the Way project, bringing together companies from the home textiles, wines, construction, and food sectors.
The program includes pre-scheduled meetings with local importers, distributors, and operators, tailored to the profiles and objectives of each company.
According to Silva, sectors such as textiles, food, and construction materials have seen particular success in Canada, recognized as one of the world’s most open markets.
“It’s a country that values quality and acknowledges Portuguese products. We conduct at least one event per year in this market,” she added.
For Miguel Espírito Santo, commercial director of Lacto Serra, “Canada can serve as a gateway to North America during a time of international uncertainty.”
The Portuguese company, already represented in Canada, views this mission as an opportunity to strengthen commercial relationships.
“Certifications are demanding but essential. Bringing Portugal’s flag into this market is a worthwhile challenge,” he stated.
Ricardo Lavrador, North American commercial manager at Catari Indústria, shares a similar perspective: “After last year’s visit, we secured clients on the west coast. Now we aim to consolidate and expand. Canada offers immense opportunities in construction, mining, energy, and shipyards.”
Despite growing interest, companies face challenges such as adapting to technical requirements, certification processes, and investment scale.
“Being a medium-sized company, we can’t make large immediate investments. However, the response to our meetings has been very positive, and there is clear interest in our product,” assured Lavrador.
Têxteis DA – Domingos Almeida is also part of the mission.
The commercial director, Rosa Maria Martins, emphasized the importance of direct contact with clients.
“We already have some business in Canada, but we want to grow. These missions are crucial because they allow us to understand the market, the clients, and the competition,” she noted.
Following the visit to Vancouver in western Canada, the business mission took part on Thursday in the launch of the revamped Portuguese-Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Toronto, an event held at the Consulate General of Portugal.
Canada is currently the tenth-largest economy in the world, with an open economy, a high consumption capacity, and strong institutional stability. As a member of the G7, it stands out in international rankings for competitiveness and business attractiveness, and it has been strengthening trade ties with the European Union through the CETA agreement.
According to AEP data, in 2024, the BOW project supported the participation of 180 Portuguese companies in 27 external actions, distributed across 20 markets, including emerging destinations such as Georgia, Azerbaijan, Latvia, and New Zealand.
Since 1990, the association has promoted hundreds of internationalization initiatives aimed at diversifying markets and mitigating risks associated with reliance on traditional geographies.
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