The Canadian Chamber of Commerce and La Chambre de commerce et d’industrie de France (CCI France) have announced a strategic partnership in an effort to strengthen and deepen business relations and economic cooperation between the two nations.
“I’m pleased to announce that we’ll be entering into a strategic collaboration with La Chambre de commerce et d’industrie (CCI) de France to bolster ties between French and Canadian companies of all sizes,” said Candace Laing, president and chief executive officer of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
“I am pleased that this initiative has been welcomed and supported by both the President of the French Republic and the Prime Minister of Canada, sending a strong signal about the strategic importance of closer ties between the French and Canadian chambers of commerce,” added Alain Di Crescenzo, president and CEO of CCI France.
According to the update, the two chambers intend to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) within the coming weeks.
Relationship between Canada and France
“With France, we have a rich history, common language, shared values and a trade agreement in CETA,” Laing said. “Our businesses understand that makes for solid ground to build on.”
Di Crescenzo saw the strategic collaboration as a chance to transform the two countries’ historic connections into concrete business opportunities.
“The trust that already unites our two countries is an advantage that few commercial partnerships in the world can claim — a strength we can build on without preventing us from exploring other markets at the same time,” Di Crescenzo added.
Expected economic benefits
“The two national chambers of commerce represent the full spectrum of businesses, from large corporations to SMEs, and that is precisely the scale at which we want to act: facilitating connections, sharing our respective expertise in both markets, and supporting entrepreneurs looking to expand across the Atlantic,” Di Crescenzo said.
“Diversification isn’t just about new markets,” Laing explained. “It’s looking at trusted markets we already have bonds with and expanding untapped opportunities.”
“Our two economies offer genuine complementarities, and by building on them, we can develop shared value chains in strategic sectors for businesses in both countries,” Di Crescenzo added.
According to Laing, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s recent efforts to fortify the links between the Canadian and French business communities have included spearheading a trade mission of Canadian business leaders to Paris for the B7 Summit in June.
Laing shared that there are plans for similar engagements in the future.
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