February 20, 2026 – Waterloo, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

Canada is pursuing a long-term, whole-of-government approach to strengthening the defence industrial base as a pillar of national security, economic resilience and prosperity.

Today, the Honourable Maninder Sidhu, Minister of International Trade, was in Waterloo, Ontario, to highlight Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy, announced by Prime Minister Mark Carney on February 17, 2026.

The new Defence Industrial Strategy supports Canada’s approach to trade diversification. It aims to increase defence exports by 50% and to strengthen whole‑of‑government line of sight on strategic export opportunities through Global Affairs Canada’s Defence Exports Division.

The strategy encourages collaboration with trusted allies to deliver capabilities for the Canadian Armed Forces while expanding support for Canadian businesses to help them export more of their products and services abroad.

The world is changing rapidly. The international rules-based order is fading, and technological change is expanding the fields of conflict. That is why Canada is focusing on what it can control: rebuilding, rearming and reinvesting in the Canadian Armed Forces. Canada is pursuing a long-term, whole-of-government approach to strengthening the defence industrial base as a pillar of national security, economic prosperity and strategic autonomy.

Through Canada’s first-ever Defence Industrial Strategy, Canada is strengthening the industrial foundations that support the country’s security and economic resilience. By aligning long-term defence investments with industrial capability, the strategy supports Canadian businesses and workers, strengthening domestic supply chains, and reinforces Canada as a trusted partner to its Allies. Canada is making generational investments in its defence ecosystem to transform its military, to create good, high-paying careers for Canadians across the country and, crucially, to supply the Canadian Armed Forces with the equipment it needs to keep Canada safe and sovereign.