Canada
Relations between Brazil and Canada are historically founded on shared values and principles, such as democracy, human rights, the rule of law, international law and the protection of individual liberties. They are marked by political dialogue and a broad agenda of cooperation in trade and investment, energy and mining, environment, education, science, technology and innovation, defense and security. In regional and multilateral forums, the two countries have traditionally ensured good coordination.
Brazil and Canada share common characteristics that bring them closer together. They are democracies with plural societies, with two of the largest territories in the world (5th and 2nd, respectively). They are two of the world’s largest economies with diversified industrial production and exports. Both countries have significant freshwater reserves and are major producers of food and energy.
Events in the early stages of the bilateral relations include the appointment by the Brazilian government of vice-consuls in ports such as St. John’s, Newfoundland, and Halifax, the arrival in Brazil of a trade mission from the Eastern provinces of the then British North America, in 1866, to explore trade prospects, and the private visit of Emperor D. Pedro II to Niagara Falls, Ontario and Montreal, in 1876.
Decree No. 6604 of December 17, 1940, created the Brazilian legation in Canada with headquarters in Ottawa, established in April of the following year. It was raised to embassy status by Decree No. 14,250, of December 10, 1943. In September 1941, Canada opened its legation in Brazil, which became an embassy in 1944.
Today, in addition to the embassy in Ottawa and the Delegation to the International Civil Aviation Organization in Montreal, Brazil has consulates general in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. Canada has consulates general in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and trade offices in Belo Horizonte, Recife and Porto Alegre, in addition to the embassy in Brasília.
The main bilateral treaties in force are the Technical Cooperation Agreement (1975), the Convention to Avoid Double Taxation (1984), the Air Transport Agreement (1986), the Framework Agreement for Cooperation in Science, Technology and Innovation (2008), and the Social Security Agreement (2011).
Brazil and Canada maintain several mechanisms of bilateral cooperation, including the Strategic Partnership Dialogue at the level of foreign ministers, the Political-Military Dialogue, the Joint Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation Committee, and the Economic Trade Council.
Educational cooperation has stood out as one of the most dynamic sectors of bilateral relations. Canada is the top destination of Brazilian students abroad.
Canada is Brazil's 12th largest trading partner. In 2022, bilateral trade totaled, for the first time, more than $10 billion, an increase of 40.9% compared to 2021. Brazilian exports reached $5.39 billion, a growth of 9.6%, while imports from Canada totaled $5.16 billion, an increase of 100.6%. That year, Brazil imported $3.7 billion in fertilizers or chemical fertilizers from Canada, which accounted for nearly 72% of total Brazilian imports from that country (an increase of 151% compared to the previous year).
The two countries have a solid and long-standing investment relationship. Canada is the 9th largest investor in Brazil (2021 data). Brazil is Latin America's largest investor in Canada, ranking among the top twenty sources of foreign direct investment. In 2021, Canada’s stock of investment in Brazil totaled $19.7 billion and Brazilian investment in Canada anounted to $13.8 billion.
Chronology of bilateral relations
2023 - President Luís Inácio Lula da Silva and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meet on the sidelines of the G7 leaders' summit, in Hiroshima (May)
2018 - Minister of Foreign Affairs Aloysio Nunes visits Canada for the Third Meeting of the Strategic Partnership Dialogue (Ottawa, Nov.23)
2013 - Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird visits Brazil for the Second Meeting of the Strategic Partnership Dialogue (Rio de Janeiro, Aug. 8)
2012 - Governor General David Johnston visits Brazil
2012 - Minister of Foreign Affairs Antônio Patriota visits Canada for the First Meeting of the Strategic Partnership Dialogue (Ottawa, Oct. 25)
2011 - Prime Minister Stephen Harper visits Brazil
2011 - First Meeting of the Joint Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation Committee
2010 - First Meeting of the Political-Military Dialogue
2004 - Prime Minister Paul Martin visits Brazil
2000 - Minister of Foreign Affairs Lloyd Axworthy visits Brazil
1998 - Canada’s Governor General Romeo Leblanc and Prime Minister Jean Chrétien visit Brazil
1997 - President Fernando Henrique Cardoso visits Canada
1996 - Minister of Foreign Affairs Lloyd Axworthy visits Brazil
1995 - Prime Minister Jean Chrétien visits Brazil
1989 - Governor General Jeanne Sauvé visits Brazil
1984 - First Political Consultations Meeting
1982 - Secretary of State for External Affairs Mark MacGuigan visits Brazil
1982 - President João Figueiredo visits Canada
1981 - Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau visits Brazil
1980 - Minister of Foreign Affairs Saraiva Guerreiro visits Canada
1977 - Secretary of State for External Affairs Donald Jamieson visits Brazil
1976 - First meeting of the Brazil-Canada Joint Economic and Commercial Commission
1968 - Secretary of State for External Affairs Mitchell Sharp visits Brazil
1958 - Secretary of State for External Affairs Sidney Smith visits Brazil
1956 - Vice President João Goulart visits Canada
1944 - Elevation of the Canadian legation to embassy status
1943 - Elevation of the Brazilian legation to embassy status
1941 - The Brazilian legation in Ottawa and the Canadian legation in Rio de Janeiro are opened
1941 - Minister of Commerce James MacKinnon visits Brazil. Signing of the Brazil-Canada Trade Treaty
1919 - President-elect Epitácio Pessoa visits Canada
1876 - Private visit of Emperor D. Pedro II to Ontario and Montreal
1866 - Trade mission from the then British North America visits Brazil
1858 - Brazil appoints a vice-consul to the port of St. John’s, Newfoundland
1836 - Brazil appoints a vice-consul to the port of Halifax