Preparing Indigenous Groups to
take on the China Market

The potential for economic activity between China and Canadian Indigenous businesses and communities is immense. China is the world’s second largest economy, the world’s largest exporting nation, and is Canada’s second largest trading partner. It has a large, growing middle class with an increasing demand for energy, natural resources, tourism, agri-food (including seafood), and outputs from other industries which Canada, and Canada’s Indigenous peoples, have in large supply. China also is a natural source of capital investment for Indigenous communities that need infrastructure to increase their supply of these outputs.

However, this has so far been a largely untapped opportunity. Only 17% of Indigenous businesses have clients in markets outside of Canada and the United States, and there have only been a limited number of successful business interactions between Chinese companies and Indigenous businesses and communities. How can stakeholders best seize this opportunity moving forward?

Authored by Dentons Canada LLP and commissioned by the Canada China Business Council (CCBC), this report, based on research and interviews with Indigenous and Chinese entrepreneurs, investigates the scope and nature of these opportunities and challenges, and explores potential solutions and paths towards increased interaction between Indigenous and Chinese businesses.

For more information, please contact Alyssa Dalton, Director of Communications, at communications@ccbc.com.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of Dentons Canada LLP, CCBC or its members.