Canada and Germany
Canada and Germany enjoy close relations, reflected by our active international cooperation, healthy trade and investment relations and longstanding people-to-people ties.
In April 2005, Governor General Adrienne Clarkson inaugurated Canada’s new embassy in Berlin, in the heart of the historical junction between former East and West Berlin. In addition, we have consulates in Munich, Dusseldorf and Hamburg, whose primary function is to promote trade and investment links. The provinces of Ontario and Alberta have representatives in Germany, co-located in our consulates. Quebec runs a stand-alone bureau in Munich, with an “antenne culturelle” office in Berlin.
In addition to its embassy in Ottawa, Germany maintains consulates in Toronto and Vancouver. Additional diplomats responsible for specialized files are also accredited from Washington.
Political Relations
Canada and Germany are like-minded partners active in multilateral fora, championing issues such as arms reduction, non-proliferation, human rights, and humanitarian and peace operations. As longtime members of NATO, Canada and Germany have cooperated closely in the field of defence relations over the years. Canadian air and land forces served in West Germany, initially as part of the allied occupying force and subsequently under NATO command, from the end of World War II until the early 1990s when the majority were repatriated. The Canadian Forces maintain a small national support unit in Germany and military personnel are assigned to a number of NATO organizations within Germany, including the NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Force. Canadian and German troops have worked side-by-side in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, and our two countries continue to make significant contributions to the reconstruction of the country. Canada and Germany have also pursued parallel initiatives such as the establishment of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, and the Ottawa Convention on Landmines.
Our common approaches to federalism have led to an increase in cooperation between Canadian provinces and German federal states, such as Quebec with Bavaria, Alberta with Saxony, Ontario with Baden-Württemberg. As reform of German federalism continues to figure highly on the political agenda, Canada’s own system can serve as a point of comparison for German policy-makers.
Academic and Cultural Relations
Educational partnerships and cultural exchanges between Canada and Germany are plentiful. There are extensive Canadian Studies programmes (the largest we have after those in the US) in German universities, as well as over 200 exchange programs between German and Canadian institutions of higher education. In June 2006, Canada and Germany have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strenghten youth exchanges between the two countries and ease administrative procedures. Many Canadian performing arts groups and orchestras visit Germany each year and vice-versa. There is a strong relationship between Canadian and German film and video producers, and Germans have been become enthusiastic consumers of Canadian books, music, art and other forms of cultural expression. More than 1000 Canadian books have been translated and published in German and the annual Frankfurt Book Fair is a major event.
The ties of family and friendship nurtured by Canadians and Germans from all walks of life form another important dimension of the bilateral relationship. Over 420,000 German tourists visit Canada each year. Almost 10% of Canadians claim some German heritage (2.7 million in the 2001 Census), with the largest concentrations in Ontario and central Canada. About 2,000 people immigrate to Canada from Germany each year, about half of whom are German citizens. Some 2,300 Germans come to Canada annually to study and another 2,000 to work temporarily.
Trade and Investment
Germany has the largest economy in the European Union and the third largest in the world. Germany is Canada's sixth-largest export market and ranks sixth among Canada's suppliers. Canada's bilateral trade with Germany has grown considerably in the past decade: Canadian imports from Germany rose from $3.83 billion in 1990 to $10.26 billion in 2005, while Canadian exports rose from $2.20 billion in 1990 to $3.23 billion in 2005.
With estimated assets of $7.6 billion in 2004, Germany is the seventh largest foreign direct investor in Canada. At the same time, Canadian firms hold $8.7 billion in assets in Germany. In May 2005, Canada signed a Letter of Intent with Germany to cooperate on further developing investment links through exchanges of information, best practices, visits, missions, workshops and investment studies. Most multinational German companies are represented in Canada, including such well- known names as Bayer, BASF, Siemens, Daimler-Chrysler, Mannesmann and Thyssen-Krupp. The majority of the six-hundred German subsidiaries in Canada, however, are medium-sized (Mittelstand) firms, with 1,500 locations throughout the country. Many Canadian companies have holdings in Germany, to take advantage of market opportunities there and in surrounding countries. Notable investors include Alcan, CAE Electronics, Bombardier, Pratt and Whitney, Trizec Hahn and Magna.
Germany is host of the world's oldest, largest and most important trade fairs. As more than ninety percent of new products and technologies are introduced into the German market via trade fairs, it is highly advisable to Canadian firms to exhibit or visit the relevant fairs. As many of these are truly international, Canadian exporters can also establish contact with potential customers from many other countries during these events.
Science and Technology
Since 1971, researchers from Canada and Germany have collaborated in joint projects under the bilateral Scientific and Technological Cooperation Agreement. This has resulted in the sharing of scientific expertise and research facilities and the co-financing of joint research and development projects. More than 500 projects in more than a dozen different fields of science and research have been completed and there are generally about 100 joint projects underway at any given time. Financial support and a network of coordinators in both countries have facilitated this cooperation.
Useful Links
Last updated: RRN/BRLIN May 2006
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