Mayor Olivia Chow is heading to Ireland and the United Kingdom on Sunday for a trade mission to boost the city’s economic opportunities while shining a spotlight on Toronto’s film and TV industries.
“At a time of historic uncertainty, reliable trade partners have never been more important,” Chow said in a news release Saturday.
Chow will spend a week across the pond in Dublin, Ireland and London, England to try and expand global markets for Toronto businesses before returning on July 12.
“This trade mission is about supporting more economic opportunities for Toronto workers and businesses, including export diversification and foreign direct investment attraction,” she said.
While abroad, Chow will meet with production companies and broadcasters, along with film and television leaders from Toronto. She will also meet with Dublin’s Lord Mayor Ray McAdam, the Ireland-Canada Business Association and potential funding partners while in Ireland. In London, Chow is set to meet with Mayor Sadiq Khan and take part in a roundtable with the U.K.-Canada Chamber of Commerce.
The United Kingdom is the fifth largest trading partner of Canada and Ontario. In 2024, Canada exported $28.3 billion worth of goods and services to the U.K.
Last month Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a growth and innovation partnership designed to deepen the countries’ existing trade relationship.
The news release described Ireland as a “gateway” into the European Union markets for Toronto businesses through the federal Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement, which has increased Canada’s bilateral trade with the EU from just under $5 billion in 2016 to just over $14.6 billion in 2023.
The visit also ties into Chow’s 10-point economic action plan launched earlier this year in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
“Canada is facing a senseless and wasteful trade war,” Chow wrote in the plan. “Toronto is a beacon of hope for people in every corner of the world. We have the talent, the creativity and the connection to the global market that comes from our diversity.”
