Canada’s central bank chief pitches nation to global investors amid U.S. trade tensions

Canadian finance minister Mark Carney is leading a high‑profile effort to attract foreign capital to the country, convening the Canada Investment Summit in Toronto on Monday and Tuesday. The invitation‑only event brings together hundreds of senior representatives from the world’s largest pension funds, sovereign wealth funds and asset‑management firms, alongside corporate executives, provincial premiers and federal officials.

The summit’s agenda focuses on a broad range of sectors, including mining, energy infrastructure such as pipelines and ports, artificial‑intelligence technologies and advanced manufacturing. Participants are being urged to consider long‑term investments that would support the development of these industries and enhance Canada’s global competitiveness.

Canada’s government has outlined a five‑year plan to mobilise roughly US$1 trillion in total investment, of which about US$280 billion is expected to come from public spending and incentive programmes. The public component is intended to leverage private and institutional capital, creating a partnership model that underpins the targeted investment volume.

The summit is taking place against a backdrop of heightened trade tensions between Canada and the United States. Since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, a series of tariffs and trade measures have been introduced that affect Canadian exports, and political rhetoric has intensified, with the U.S. president referring to Canada as a “51st state” and labeling Carney as a “governor”. These developments have been described as an ongoing trade war that has strained the historically close economic relationship between the two neighbours.

Carney’s outreach to global investors is part of a broader strategy to diversify Canada’s economic base and reduce reliance on the U.S. market. By securing commitments from international capital sources, the government aims to sustain growth in key industries and position Canada as an attractive destination for large‑scale, long‑term investment.