FDI in Canada

Foreign direct investment (FDI) is a key strategic lever for Canada’s economic development, helping to spur innovation and creating highly skilled and well-paying jobs in communities across the country. Increasingly, global investors look not only to invest, but to put down roots in Canadian communities. 

Thanks to its vast territory, abundant resources and prosocial values, combined with its remarkable quality of life and highly skilled workforce, Canada will increasingly become the go-to destination for FDI in the new world economy.

We Find the Best to Invest

Image of building in Vancouver

Finding the best to invest: FDI Report 2020

Get the facts about FDI in Canada in 2020 – and meet some of the people and companies behind the numbers.

Watch the video

Invest in Canada is the country’s global investment attraction and promotion agency. We seek out the most committed and best qualified sources of FDI to invest here at home. In so doing, we help build a prosperous, sustainable economy for our communities, our country and our world.

More videos

Community

Invest in Canada seeks to attract high quality, community focused investments into Canada that deliver long-term, sustainable returns, while remaining true to our fundamental values.

Innovation

Canada’s economy relies on the innovation, new ideas and advanced technologies that FDI brings, in turn generating new opportunities for Canadians.

Environment & Sustainability

FDI can help Canada achieve its climate goals by introducing innovative new technologies and practices. FDI spurs the growth of green industries, creating new supply chains that will help Canada play a lead role in the fight against climate change.

FDI Facts and Figures

As foreign investment flows collapsed in 2020, Invest in Canada’s FDI Report 2020 shows that Canada fared much better than many of its counterparts in the G7 and across the developed world.

Canadian companies – from plant-based protein to hydrogen to electric vehicles – have successfully adapted to the changing needs of global consumers and will continue to help position Canada as a global leader.

Weathering the Storm

Over the past 10 years, FDI into Canada has grown an average of 8.1% per year, indicating continued confidence by global companies in Canada as a destination of choice for foreign investment.

By the Numbers

In 2020, global investors announced 545 foreign investments in Canada totaling $32.3 billion, including:

  • 299 FDI projects
  • 246 cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&As)
  • 32,134 jobs forecasted (34.8% increase over 2019, excluding M&As)

Poised For Recovery

Invest in Canada’s FDI Report 2020 shows Canada has consistently and quickly bounced back from economic downturns. With global FDI flows projected to increase up to 20% by 2022, Canada is poised to capitalize on its leadership in key industries such as clean technology, agri-food and gaming.

Getting to "Yes"

In 2020, Invest in Canada directly supported 14 major investment projects valued over $1.2 billion from global companies in the U.S., Europe, Asia and Australia, creating over 1,800 jobs – with more to come. 

Woman staring at a computer screen reading a report

Read the FDI Report 2020

Find out more about how Canada has performed on the world stage, and how FDI is helping to create jobs and foster innovation in Canadian communities.

Key Industries

From forestry and agriculture to energy and manufacturing, FDI can help spur growth in the industries that build a strong Canadian economy by supporting the development of innovative and sustainable technologies, practices and products.

FDI will help Canada bring new solutions to the world, such as batteries and electric vehicles, new plant-based foods and carbon-capture technology, while creating highly skilled jobs here at home.

Tesla charging station
  • Tech
  • Advanced Manufacturing
  • Natural Resources
  • Entertainment and Media
  • Agribusiness
  • Cleantech
  • Life Sciences
  • Batteries and Electric Vehicles

You may also be interested in

Nov2021
panelists at Toronto Global Forum 2021
Electric Vehicles, FDI For Canadians

Canada: a spark for the batteries and electric vehicles industry by:

At this year’s Toronto Global Forum, Invest in Canada brought together leaders in Canada’s EV industry to discuss the challenges and opportunities Canada faces as it leads the electrification of the transportation sector.
Sep2021
Special Investment Series Financial times
FDI For Canadians

Financial Times: Canada, A Business Bridge to the World by:

Discover how the Financial Times, one of the world's foremost global business publication, is helping to showcase Canada’s strengths as a place to invest.

For more Information

Sep2021
Toronto skyline and CN Tower from the water on a sunny day
FDI For Canadians

Invest in Canada to participate at the Toronto Global Forum in November 2021 by:

This year again, Invest in Canada is proud to participate in the Toronto Global Forum, the premier event bringing together heads of states, central bank governors, ministers and global economic decision makers. This represents an exclusive opportunity to foster business links and promote partnerships with major Canadian and international corporations.

For more information

Sep2021
Finding the best to Invest - FDI Report 2020
FDI For Canadians

Invest in Canada releases annual FDI Report by:

Find out more about how Canada has performed on the world stage, and how FDI is helping to create jobs and foster innovation in Canadian communities.

For more information