April 1, 2026: Canadian Trade - On the Road to 2035

By Jeanne Brownewell

 

OWIT-Toronto board members with panelists and sponsors.

[l to r] Scotiabank’s Matthew Parker-Jones, OWIT Co-President Cathy Williamson, Panel Moderator Susan Baka, TSC’s Zinnia Jamshed, EDC’s Jennifer Cooke, Author Ryan Manucha, Scotiabank’s Amanda de Vogel and EDC’s Stephanie Fontaine.

On April 1, OWIT-Toronto held a timely breakfast event on Canada’s evolving trade landscape over the next decade. Moderated by OWIT-TO President Susan Baka, the panel discussion featured Zinnia Jamshed (Trade Commissioner Service, Global Affairs Canada), Jennifer Cooke (Director of Customer Care, Export Development Canada) and Ryan Manucha (Research Fellow, C.D. Howe Institute). Looking towards Canada’s ambitious goal to double non-US exports by 2035 in order to reduce dependency on a single market, the panelists shared useful insights for businesses interested in expanding across borders and across Canada to unlock growth.

Think Big, Think Bold

Zinnia and Jennifer noted that women often underestimate their potential as exporters and are disproportionately affected by financing barriers and smaller networks. Fortunately, many resources are available to support women business owners in identifying opportunities and taking risks:

• The Trade Commissioner Service connects small and medium-sized businesses to global markets through commercial intelligence, trade missions, and programs such as CanExport for financing and TechAccelerator for in-market support.

• Export Development Canada helps entrepreneurs manage financial risks and access working capital, building confidence for international expansion.

• Canada’s network of FTAs level the playing field - covering over 51 countries and ⅔ of the global economy, agreements like CETA, CPTPP and the Canada-UK FTA provide preferential access to high-growth markets. CETA even includes an inclusionary metric for women exporters.

• Organizations like OWIT connect women to strong networks which can accelerate scaling up and global participation.

Results from EDC’s Trade Confidence Index show how exporters are adapting to uncertainty and taking action now rather than waiting. Many are moving towards a “US-Plus” approach, maintaining ties with the US but actively expanding into Europe and Asia. While the ambition is there, challenges remain, and the Trade Commissioner Service continues to support businesses in both the US and further afield, recognizing that diversification is a gradual process.

Alongside this shift, new opportunities are emerging across markets. Prominent sectors for women-owned businesses in the Indo-Pacific region include professional services and ICT. Many women are also seeing promise in health sciences, sustainability, marketing and creative industries. In Europe, there is high demand for consumer products with ethical labeling, and health and wellness products.

Abroad and At Home

Ryan Manucha discussed how domestic trade barriers create a missed opportunity, with interprovincial trade at only half the value of US-Canada trade. Many of these barriers stem from differing provincial regulations, inconsistent standards and non-transparent procurement practices. As women are active in credentialed sectors such as professional services and healthcare, reducing frictions is key: normalizing mutual recognition, already well-established in international trade agreements, would go a long way towards allowing women to take ownership over opportunities.

Businesses seeking to expand interprovincially can contact their province’s internal trade representative for assistance. The Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation, and Trade (MEDJCT) is also offering interprovincial trade missions to those interested.

Ryan shares more about Canada’s interprovincial trade story in his book, Booze, Cigarettes, and Constitutional Dust-Ups: Canada’s Quest for Interprovincial Free Trade.

A special thank you to Scotiabank for hosting this event and to our partners Export Development Canada and the Trade Commissioner Service for their continued support.