Canada’s Strategic Exports Office

The Strategic Exports Office (SEO) will enhance Canada’s ability to secure international commercial opportunities in strategic sectors where Canada has or can develop a strategic advantage and reinforce its reputation.

It reflects a whole-of-government approach to trade, integrating diplomacy, financing and commercial expertise.

Function

Global competition for major commercial opportunities has intensified, with countries increasingly deploying coordinated, state-backed diplomatic and financing tools to influence commercial outcomes. The SEO is Canada’s response to this evolving landscape.

Established at Global Affairs Canada (GAC), the SEO will:

• identify and track strategic export opportunities
• curate and manage a pipeline of major export opportunities
• coordinate ministerial, diplomatic and financing engagement
• lead whole-of-government “deal teams” to align advocacy, policy and commercial tools to secure major international contracts

Focus sectors

The SEO will include focused expertise across the following key areas:

• defence and security exports
• civil strategic exports (including aerospace, digital ecosystems, mining, financial services, energy and energy transition and infrastructure)

Export Development Canada

The minister of international trade will retain overall accountability for the office, which will operate at GAC. Export Development Canada (EDC) will:

• provide market intelligence
• share information on strategic export opportunities
• contribute financing expertise

This collaboration will respect EDC’s legislative authorities and commercial decision-making independence.

Find information on Canada’s Strategic Exports Advisory Council