In 2024, bilateral trade with Canada reached a peak value of 363 million USD.
The Minister of Economy and Industry, Petеr Dilov, held a meeting with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Canada to Bulgaria, based in Bucharest, Gavin Buchan. The two discussed the process of Bulgaria’s accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the development of bilateral economic relations.
Minister Dilov pointed out that our accession to the OECD is among the main foreign economic priorities for Bulgaria. “We are strongly committed to completing the technical phase of accession by the end of 2025 or the beginning of 2026,” he added.
For his part, Ambassador Buchan expressed Canada’s support for our country’s accession to the OECD.
The two also discussed the economic aspects of cooperation between the two countries. In 2024, trade between Bulgaria and Canada reached 363.2 million USD, with an increase of 3.1% compared to the previous year.
According to Minister Dilov, attracting Canadian investments in key sectors of the Bulgarian economy and expanding the volume and variety of Bulgarian products on the Canadian market, especially goods with high added value, remain our long-term priorities.
The possibilities for cooperation within the framework of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the EU and Canada were also discussed. It became clear at the meeting that Bulgaria consistently supports the implementation of CETA and intends to expand opportunities for trade and investment with Canada, with exports to Canada having doubled in the last 7 years.
The Canadian Ambassador emphasized the importance of deepening bilateral relations between the two countries, and also noted that Canadian companies create approximately 6,000 jobs in our country. He added that the establishment of a Canadian-Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce a year ago will boost partnership between the countries.
The two committed to working towards building even stronger and more sustainable bilateral relations in the future, with the potential to enhance investment cooperation in the fields of energy, high technology and infrastructure.