By supporting talented creative industries in their efforts to export and grow, the Government of Canada is achieving the dual goals of supporting Canada’s economic recovery and strengthening its relationships with its international partners. Indeed, Canadian artists and creators play a vital part in relationships that promote Canadian interests and values around the world, and the creative industries play a key role in the Canadian economy: in 2019, they accounted for $57.1 billion (or 2.7 percent) of Canada’s total GDP and nearly 673,000 jobs.
The Creative Industries Trade Mission to Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands, led by Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage, has just come to a successful conclusion. It allowed 29 Canadian companies from various creative sectors (audiovisual, music, performing arts, book publishing, digital and interactive media, fashion, and more) to learn more about the characteristics and opportunities of these three markets and to explore new business opportunities in order to be more competitive on the international market.
This in-person trade mission built on the success of individual virtual missions to these markets in 2020 and 2021, which resulted in more than 540 business-to-business meetings with 250 European participants.
This mission resulted in 360 business-to-business meetings involving 131 European participants.
Minister Rodriguez also took advantage of his visit to Europe to attend important meetings with his European counterparts and partners, showcasing the impressive talent of Canadian entrepreneurs in the creative industries and strengthening bilateral relations.
While creative industries have been particularly hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, they remain a vehicle and engine of growth and prosperity for Canada as it moves toward economic recovery.
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“The creative industries convey our stories, our values and our culture. The audiovisual, music, performing arts, book publishing, digital and interactive media, and fashion sectors represent many facets of today’s Canada. They have the talent and expertise to compete with the rest of the world. By opening the door to international exports and expansion, this trade mission paints a very bright picture for Canada’s economic recovery.”
—Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage
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There were 360 meetings that took place between Canadian creative industry businesses and 131 German, Swedish and Dutch potential business partners, allowing them to gain a competitive edge by exploring new opportunities to make them succeed on the global scene.
In 2019, the arts, culture and heritage industries accounted for $57.1 billion in gross domestic product (GDP), equivalent to 2.7 percent of Canada’s overall GDP; more than 672,900 direct jobs in film and video, television and broadcasting, music, publishing, archives, performing arts, heritage institutions, festivals and celebrations; and countless spin-off jobs. In 2019, exports of cultural products totalled $20.4 billion, representing 2.8 percent of Canada’s total exports.
This initiative is part of the Creative Export Strategy, a $125-million, five-year investment to promote Canada’s creative industries by encouraging the discovery and distribution of their creative content abroad. It also aims to give Canadian businesses and creative organizations the tools and mechanisms they need to maximize their export potential.
Through the Creative Export Strategy, Canadian Heritage has successfully led creative industries trade missions to Europe virtually in 2020 and 2021, as well as in person to Latin America in 2019 and China in 2018. This in-person mission to Europe is the fourth large-scale, multi-sectoral trade mission under the Strategy.
Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands are already export markets for Canadian cultural goods, with annual values of:
– Germany: $627.3 million, up 42 percent since 2010;
– Sweden: $19.6 million;
– Netherlands: $122.3 million, up 50 percent since 2010.
