Bilateral trade between the two countries reached $4.2 billion in 2025, marking a 21% increase compared with the previous year.
Canada: The UAE and Canada have announced the successful completion of negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), highlighting the growing strength and depth of their bilateral economic ties.
The agreement was announced by Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade, and Maninder Sidhu, Canadian Minister of International Trade, during Al Zeyoudi’s visit to Canada, where he led a delegation of UAE government officials and business leaders.
The completion of negotiations marks the fastest milestone achieved under the UAE’s CEPA programme since its launch in September 2021, reflecting the strong shared commitment and political determination of both countries to further strengthen economic and investment cooperation.
The CEPA is expected to further strengthen the UAE and Canada’s already substantial bilateral trade, which reached around US$4.2 billion in 2025, representing a 21% increase compared with the previous year. Once ratified and implemented, the agreement will reduce tariffs, remove trade barriers, and improve market access for businesses in both countries.
By encouraging cooperation in key industries, including aerospace, agri-food, and seafood, the CEPA is expected to support billions of dollars in trade and investment opportunities across major projects such as ports, mining operations, LNG facilities, data centres, and critical minerals.
Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi said the successful conclusion of CEPA negotiations between the UAE and Canada reflects the strong strategic ties between the two nations and their shared commitment to building a more resilient, sustainable, and expanded economic partnership. He said the agreement demonstrates the UAE’s ability to turn political cooperation into practical economic results that drive mutual growth and long-term prosperity.
He added that the CEPA will create new opportunities for businesses in both countries by expanding investment and cooperation across priority sectors, including clean energy, advanced technology, data centres, agri-food, aviation, and critical minerals — areas where the two economies have strong potential for complementary and mutually beneficial partnerships.
The CEPA builds on the existing UAE-Canada Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA), which has supported long-term partnerships between industries in both countries, encouraged investment in major projects, and contributed to job creation. The new agreement aims to further strengthen these links and help private-sector companies expand their cooperation.
Maninder Sidhu said the conclusion of CEPA negotiations with the UAE, which began last month, represents Canada’s fastest-ever trade agreement negotiation and marks a significant milestone in the growing relationship between the two countries. He said the agreement will enable Canadian businesses to use the UAE as a regional hub to expand exports while encouraging UAE investment in projects that support Canada’s long-term economic objectives.
He added that the Canada-UAE CEPA reflects the strength of the partnership and is expected to deliver lasting benefits for businesses, workers, and communities in both countries.
The UAE’s CEPA programme remains a key pillar of its foreign trade strategy and has secured agreements with 38 countries since its launch in September 2021.
By expanding access to international markets and boosting trade and investment links with fast-growing economies, the UAE is advancing towards its target of increasing the size of its economy to more than US$800 billion by 2031. The country has already surpassed expectations by achieving US$1 trillion in total trade value six years ahead of schedule.
