President Lula hosts Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva welcomed Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly to the Planalto presidential palace on Wednesday (Jun. 28), in Brasília. The meeting focused on discussions regarding the environment, defense, trade, and investment agendas between Brazil and Canada.
According to the Brazilian presidential office, Lula and Joly agreed on the importance of organizing business missions to enhance trade and investment relations between the two countries.
During the meeting, Minister Joly extended an invitation to President Lula from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to visit Canada. In return, President Lula reciprocated the invitation.
Mélanie Joly's visit to Brazil coincides with the fourth meeting of the Brazil-Canada Strategic Partnership Dialogue, which serves as the main platform for cooperation between the two nations. On Tuesday (27), she met with Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mauro Vieira at the Itamaraty Palace—headquarters of the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs—where they signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement in the defense sector.
Ongoing dialogues and bilateral cooperation encompass various areas such as education, science, technology, innovation, military affairs, energy, and mining.
Bilateral Trade
In 2022, trade between Brazil and Canada reached $10.56 billion, representing a 40.9 percent increase compared to 2021, with Brazil enjoying a surplus of $232.1 million. Key Brazilian exports to Canada last year included gold, aluminum, sugar, semi-finished products, iron and steel, industrialized goods, and coffee. Canada's imports consisted of chemical fertilizers (about 72% of the total), along with industrialized products, aircraft, and chemicals.
