Export Strategy for Defence Procurement
Canada’s world-class companies are committed to sharing their knowledge and expertise around the world. As well, international competition helps strengthen Canadian businesses by making them more productive, more innovative and more responsive to customers’ needs.
Canada’s defence industry is a key driver of the Canadian economy. In 2011, the industry generated $9.4 billion in revenues, contributed an estimated $6 billion to Canada’s GDP and supported 64,000 full-time jobs across the country. Exports account for one half of Canada’s defence industry revenues.
Canada’s defence procurement strategy (DPS) has three objectives:
- to deliver the right equipment to the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Coast Guard in a timely manner;
- to leverage purchases of defence equipment to create jobs and economic growth in Canada; and
- to streamline defence procurement processes.
To improve the economic outcomes of defence procurement, the DPS includes a component—the Export Strategy—aimed at enhancing the international competitiveness of the Canadian defence industry. The Export Strategy complements Canada’s Global Markets Action Plan by building on Canada’s existing strengths, weaving Canada’s defence-related industrial capabilities into the Government of Canada’s economic diplomacy and trade promotion activities.
Informed by industry feedback and the recommendations of the Jenkins and Emerson reports, the Export Strategy will help Canadian companies penetrate promising defence markets by:
- strengthening institutional collaboration at the federal level to ensure that government support meets industry expectations for international business development;
- marshalling Canada’s international diplomatic network, including defence attachés, on behalf of Canada’s defence industry;
- improving outreach strategies to small and medium-sized enterprises and leveraging existing relationships in the defence and security sectors;
- enhancing coordinated support for Canada’s presence at key international events;
- strengthening access to and relationships in markets where Canada already has major trade interests while opening new markets for defence trade with Canada; and
- streamlining the administration of export controls while continuing to fully respect Canada’s established foreign, trade and defence policies.
By promoting Canada as a destination of choice for defence innovation and by focusing on the markets that hold the greatest promise for Canada’s defence industry, the Government of Canada helps Canadian companies capitalize on opportunities in defence-related sectors.
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