Italy–Canada Business Forum in Toronto: Strengthening Bilateral Relations With the Support of the OpportunItaly Platform

The high-level Toronto gathering served as a strategic catalyst for joint industrial ventures, bridging North American industrial demand with advanced Italian manufacturing and business opportunities

TORONTO, Oct. 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Italy–Canada Business Forum was held yesterday at The Globe and Mail Centre, hosted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) and the Italian Trade Agency (ITA), in collaboration with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. The event was designed to deepen bilateral trade and investment flows across strategic sectors: Advanced Industry, Energy, Mining, Infrastructure, Defence, Aerospace, and Cybersecurity.

Headed by Hon. Maria Tripodi, Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Italian delegation - comprising 65 companies and representatives from institutions within the “Sistema Italia” network (SACE, SIMEST, CDP - Cassa Depositi e Prestiti and Unioncamere-Assocamerestero) - met with over 240 Canadian companies and 40 representatives from local government and business organizations, for a total of more than 350 delegates.

The Ambassador of Italy to Canada, Alessandro Cattaneo, highlighted the particularly promising moment for commercial and industrial collaboration between Italy and Canada:

“Relations between Italy and Canada are experiencing extraordinary growth. The two economies are complementary and have enormous potential for growth. At a historic juncture in which Canada - a G7 leader in energy and mineral resources - aims to strengthen its production system and strategic autonomy, Italy is ready to rise to the challenge and is presenting itself with a high-profile delegation, positioning itself as a strategic partner in sectors such as energy, critical minerals, defense, infrastructure, and advanced engineering. The participation of leading Italian and Canadian companies and institutions confirms the strength of this collaboration and makes this Forum a new starting point for developing further opportunities.”

The economic landscape confirms the strength of the bilateral partnership. According to the latest data from the MAECI Economic Observatory (dated October 16th), Italy ranks as Canada’s 8th largest supplier, holding a 1.8% market share recorded during the January - August 2026 period.

Bilateral trade reached €5.47 billion during the January - July 2026 period (+5.5% year-on-year), supported by Italian exports totaling €3.82 billion (+4.2%) and a trade surplus of €2.16 billion. The primary driver of Italian exports to Canada is industrial machinery and equipment (€832.9 million in January - July 2026, accounting for 21.8% of the total). In terms of financial flows, Italy’s net foreign direct investment (FDI) stock in Canada stood at €5.62 billion as of 2025, compared to a Canadian FDI stock in Italy of €2.37 billion.

In support of the Forum’s objectives and serving as a continuous touchpoint for international business operators, OpportunItaly (opportunitaly.gov.it) operates as the government business acceleration programme promoted by MAECI and the Italian Trade Agency. The initiative targets 20 priority markets - including Canada - and focuses on 10 strategic Made in Italy sectors.

Conceived as a true “Fair Beyond the Fair”, OpportunItaly enables Canadian buyers, distributors, and investors to extend business engagement well beyond the timeframe of the Forum.

Through access to advanced digital business-matching tools and a curated directory of Italian companies, the platform facilitates high-value B2B connections. By joining the OpportunItaly Buyers Club, Canadian professionals also gain access to personalized visits alongside ITA Trade Analysts during major international exhibitions, as well as priority status to attend premier trade events in Italy.

OpportunItaly

OpportunItaly is the business acceleration programme promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) and the Italian Trade Agency (ITA), designed to foster the development of commercial connections between foreign buyers, distributors, and entrepreneurs, and Italian companies, through digital business-matching services and content on the strategic sectors of the Made in Italy brand. opportunitaly.gov.it

For further media enquiries, please write to: mediarelations@opportunitaly.gov.it