June 8, 2026 – Paris, France – Global Affairs Canada

Last week, the Honourable Maninder Sidhu, Minister of International Trade, concluded a successful visit to Paris, France, where he participated in the 2026 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Ministerial Council Meeting (MCM) and the Informal Gathering of WTO Ministers.

During the visit, Minister Sidhu highlighted the role of Canadian innovation, technologies and critical minerals in driving competitiveness and economic security. He underscored the importance of open, rules-based trade, fair competition and cooperation on industrial policies to support a level global playing field.

At the Australia-hosted Informal Gathering of WTO Ministers, which focused on WTO reform, Minister Sidhu reaffirmed Canada’s support for practical reforms to strengthen the multilateral trading system and improve decision-making processes.

As co-chair of the OECD Southeast Asia Regional Programme (SEARP), Canada hosted a meeting with partners to advance dialogue on regional priorities, building on Canada’s 2025 announcement of a $2-million contribution to support SEARP’s work.

While in Paris, Minister Sidhu also met with senior leaders from BNP Paribas, one of Europe’s biggest financial institutions, to advance Canada-France commercial interests and attract foreign investment to Canada while supporting Canada’s trade diversification agenda and the expansion of global trade and investment opportunities for Canadian businesses.

The Minister also met with international counterparts to advance Canada’s trade and investment priorities. He held meetings with:

• Faisal Alibrahim, Minister of Economy and Planning, Saudi Arabia
• Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari, Minister of Finance, Qatar
• Ömer Bolat, Minister of Trade, Türkiye
• Chris Bryant, Minister of State at the Department for Business and Trade, United Kingdom
• Don Farrell, Minister for Trade and Tourism, Australia
• Todd McClay, Minister for Trade and Investment, New Zealand
• Helen McEntee, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Minister for Defence, Ireland
• Cecilie Myrseth, Minister of Trade and Industry, Norway
• Guy Parmelin, Minister of Economy and President, Switzerland
• Pablo Quirno, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Argentina
• Maroš Šefčovič, Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, European Commission
• Indiana Trejos, Minister of Foreign Trade, Costa Rica
• Mauro Vieira, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Brazil