Canada trade minister heads to China for first ministerial JETC meeting

International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu is visiting China from November 3 to 6 for talks on bilateral trade and meetings with investors and businesses.

In Beijing, Sidhu is scheduled to co-lead the Canada–China Joint Economic and Trade Commission with Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao. Global Affairs Canada says this will be the commission’s first meeting held at the ministerial level.

The trip then moves to Shanghai, where Canada is the Guest Country of Honour at the China International Import Expo. The government says Sidhu will promote Canadian capabilities in agriculture and agri-food, energy, clean technology and consumer products.

China was Canada’s second-largest single-country merchandise trading partner in 2025, with $125.7 billion in two-way trade. Canadian exports accounted for $35 billion and imports for $90.6 billion, according to the federal release. Those figures describe merchandise trade, not services.

Source: Global Affairs Canada, news release published November 2, 2026.

Featured image: illustrative stock photo of shipping containers and port cranes by Haris Illahi on Unsplash, used under the Unsplash Licence. It does not show the minister’s trip or a Canadian port. Cropped/resized by WordPress.