As Canada accelerates efforts to diversify its global trade partnerships and strengthen supply chain resilience, renewed engagement with China is generating cautious optimism among immigrant entrepreneurs who see fresh cross-border business opportunities emerging from shifting diplomatic and economic signals.
The evolving Canada–China relationship gained renewed attention following remarks by Mark Carney, who emphasised the economic potential of a recalibrated bilateral partnership focused on trade, energy, agri-food, and other high-growth sectors.
“At its best, the Canada-China relationship has created massive opportunities for both our peoples. By leveraging our strengths and focusing on trade, energy, agri-food, and areas where we can make huge gains, we are forging a new strategic partnership that builds on the best of our past, reflects the world as it is today, and benefits the people of both our nations,” the Prime Minister said.
The comments come as Ottawa looks to expand export markets, reduce overreliance on concentrated trading corridors and build a more resilient global supply chain ecosystem. For Canada’s immigrant business community, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the renewed diplomatic focus signals more than policy repositioning; it suggests tangible commercial possibilities.
China has long maintained deep economic engagement across Africa, financing infrastructure, strengthening manufacturing capacity and expanding technology cooperation. Many immigrant entrepreneurs in Canada originate from African markets that have built long-standing sourcing relationships with Chinese manufacturers.
Waleola Solarin, a Nigerian-Canadian entrepreneur, believes the renewed Canada–China trade conversation could reopen pathways that once sustained his business abroad.
“Before immigrating to Canada, I ran a bag and allied craft business in Nigeria,” Solarin said. “Most of our production materials were sourced directly from China. The supply chain system was structured and efficient.”
After settling in Canada, however, replicating that model proved challenging.
“The direct supplier alliances didn’t exist in the same way. It became more expensive and complex, with more intermediaries and longer turnaround times,” he explained. “If mobility improves and trade channels become more predictable, it opens the door to revisit ventures that were previously viable.”
A similar experience was shared by Kwame Mensah, a former mobile phone distributor in Ghana. In Ghana and across several African economies, Chinese smartphone brands dominate significant segments of the consumer market due to affordability and accessibility.
“Chinese mobile phone brands are deeply integrated into Ghana’s retail ecosystem,” Kwame said. “They are affordable and widely accepted.”
But after relocating to Canada, he encountered regulatory and telecommunications barriers that complicated the continuation of the business.
“Many of those brands do not easily integrate into Canada’s telecom infrastructure or certification standards,” he noted. “That made it difficult to serve even BIPOC communities familiar with the products.”
Kwame believes clearer trade frameworks and structured bilateral cooperation could create opportunities for regulated importation, technology partnerships and localised distribution models.
“With stronger Canada–China trade alignment, immigrant entrepreneurs can bridge these markets responsibly,” he said. “That could translate into job creation, innovation and accelerated economic growth.”
The introduction of visa-free travel access for Canadian citizens and permanent residents to China may further reduce barriers for entrepreneurs seeking factory inspections, supplier negotiations and direct sourcing relationships.
Trade observers note that immigrant founders possess a strategic advantage: multilingual skills, cultural fluency and established networks across Asia and Africa. If supported by stable regulatory policies and transparent trade agreements, renewed Canada–China engagement could unlock scalable growth for immigrant-led ventures while advancing Canada’s broader trade diversification strategy.
As Canada deepens its trade diversification strategy, the evolving China connection may not only reshape import-export dynamics, but it could also empower a new generation of immigrant founders to convert transnational experience into sustainable, high-growth ventures embedded within Canada’s expanding economic ecosystem.
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