A group of Scottish businesses will arrive in Canada next week aiming to build on long-standing commercial relationships and capitalise on new opportunities as the global trading environment continues to rapidly change.
Drinks makers, a natural skincare brand and a company specialising in online English language teacher training courses are among the firms that will take part in a programme of meetings and events in Nova Scotia and British Columbia.
The trade mission is part of the Export Hub Scotland initiative, run by The Scottish Chambers of Commerce Network in partnership with the Scottish Government, and is being led by Fort William-based West Highland Chamber of Commerce.
The programme for the mission, which starts in Nova Scotia on Wednesday (21st October) includes pre-matched one-to-one buyer meetings in Cape Breton and Halifax. It continues with a full business week in Vancouver and a finale before hundreds of business leaders from every Canadian province at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s national convention in Victoria.
The UK already has a Trade Continuity Agreement with Canada, providing preferential access for qualifying goods. This was bolstered at the start of last month, with the UK’s Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) accession coming into force with Canada, giving British businesses access to Canadian CPTPP tariff arrangements.
West Highland Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive, Frazer Coupland, said: “The global trading environment is changing rapidly. Tariffs, supply chain uncertainty and changing international relationships are encouraging businesses to look more closely at where they trade, where they source and where their next opportunities might come from.
“Canada is already an important trading partner for Scotland, with established links across sectors including food and drink, advanced manufacturing, energy, technology, life sciences and many more. The recent addition of the CPTPP arrangement, alongside the existing bilateral trade agreement will create new opportunities in a market in with Scotland has a lot to offer.
“Scottish companies are ambitious and globally minded and this trade mission, which West Highland Chamber of Commerce is proud to host, offers a unique opportunity to broaden their networks, explore new trade prospect and showcase Scotland’s investment potential.”
Trade between the UK and Canada has shown strong growth recently. Total trade in goods and services between the two countries reached £29billion in the year to Q1 2025, an increase of 16.2 per cent (£4.1billion) compared to the previous 12 months. UK exports to Canada were £17.6billion, up 10.2 per cent (£1.6billion), while UK imports from Canada reached £11.5billion, up 26.8 per cent (£2.4billion).
Two Inverness-based businesses, whisky company Grand Drams and teaching English as a foreign language specialist TEFL Org are taking part in the trade mission. They will be joined by Ullapool craft gin maker Seven Crofts, Speyside Distillers, premium Rum producer Titan Spirits, from Greenock, and award-winning natural skincare company Raven Botanicals, from Haddington.
Representatives of economic and community development agency Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Skye-based higher and further Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Scotland’s centre for Gaelic language and culture, are also taking part.
