Portugal’s BOW (Business on Way) project already in Vancouver/ Toronto
Portuguese companies started scouting out new opportunities in the face of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs ‘bombshell’ long before it hit this week. And by happy coincidence, Canada’s prime minister Mark Carney has just made things look a whole lot more positive.
Carney said in a speech outlining retaliatory measures against Mr Trump’s swingeing levies on car imports: “If the US no longer wants to lead, Canada will”.
The 10th business mission of Portuguese business association AEP is already finding out what this might mean in commercial opportunities.
The mission, organised as part of the BOW – Portugal Business On the Way project, has brought together companies from the home textiles, wine, construction and food sectors. Ten companies are currently visiting Vancouver and Toronto until Saturday.
Talking to Lusa news agency, AEP’s market manager Sandra Silva said: “The economic war we are experiencing and the tariffs announced by the Trump administration are diverting the focus of many Portuguese companies. Due to its stability and openness, Canada has become even more attractive.”
Thus the mission’s agenda includes meetings with importers, distributors, and local operators.
According to Sandra Silva, Canada is one of the world’s most open markets.
“It’s a country that values quality and recognises Portuguese products. We do at least one event a year in this market,” she added.
Canada is also a traditional ‘emigration destination’ for Portuguese nationals.
For Miguel Espírito Santo, commercial director of Lacto Serra, taking part in this 10th mission: “Canada can be a gateway to North America during international uncertainty”.
Another participant, Ricardo Lavrador, sales manager for North America at Catari Indústria, shares the same view: “After last year’s visit, we won customers on the west coast. Now we want to consolidate and expand. Canada is a huge market, with construction, mining, energy and shipyards opportunities.”
Despite the growing interest, companies face challenges such as adapting to technical requirements, certification processes and the size of investments.
“As a medium-sized company, we don’t have the capacity for big immediate bets. But the response to our meetings has been very positive, and the interest in our product is clear,” said Lavrador.
Têxteis DA – Domingos Almeida is also on the mission.
The commercial director, Rosa Maria Martins, emphasises the importance of direct contact with customers.
“We already have some business in Canada, but we want to grow. These missions are important because they allow us to get to know the terrain, the clients and the competition.”
After travelling through Vancouver, in western Canada, the business mission attended the launch of the new Portugal-Canada Chamber of Commerce in Toronto yesterday, a ceremony at the Consulate General of Portugal.
Canada is currently the 10th largest economy in the world. It is open, has high consumer capacity, and has strong institutional stability. It is a member of the G7 and stands out in international rankings of competitiveness and attractiveness for business. Through the CETA agreement, Canada has been strengthening trade ties with the European Union.
According to AEP data, in 2024 the BOW project supported the participation of 180 Portuguese companies in 27 external actions, spread across 20 markets, including emerging destinations such as Georgia, Azerbaijan, Latvia and New Zealand.
Since 1990, the association has promoted hundreds of internationalisation initiatives to diversify markets and mitigate the risks associated with dependence on traditional geographies.
Source: LUSA
