Skip to main content

FDI for Canada

We find the best
to invest

Foreign direct investment (FDI) creates good jobs and opportunities for Canadians. It spurs economic growth, making our cities and towns thrive.

Invest in Canada is Canada’s global investment promotion and attraction agency. We find the best global companies to invest, building a prosperous, sustainable economy for our communities, our country and our world.

What is FDI

What is foreign direct investment?

Foreign direct investment occurs when a global company chooses to do business in Canada. They may set up operations here for the first time, expand their existing footprint in Canada, or partner with a Canadian business.

Why investment into Canada matters

Foreign direct investment creates opportunities, stimulates economic development and introduces new ideas and innovation to Canada. For Canadians, this means more high-quality jobs and a stronger, more sustainable economy.

Types of FDI

New investment

takes place when a global business sets up operations in Canada for the first time

Reinvestment

happens when a company expands its operations in Canada and opens more facilities

Merger and acquisition (M&A)

takes place when a global investor purchases or partners with a Canadian company to grow their business

Benefits to Canadians

Benefits to Canada and Canadians

When global investors choose Canada to set up shop or expand their operations, they make a long-term commitment to Canada. Global companies bring new ideas and technologies that build on Canada’s existing strengths.

As they grow in Canada, global businesses create new jobs for Canadians. Ongoing investment means Canada’s economy stays strong, stable and prosperous.

34,155 jobs
forecasted in 2021 from FDI (excluding M&As)

Source: fDi Markets & PitchBook
(retrieved May 24, 2022)

736 investment projects
announced in 2021

Source: fDi Markets & PitchBook
(retrieved May 13, 2022)

$75.5 billion
invested in Canada in 2021 by global companies

Source: Statistics Canada, Table 36-10-0473-01
(retrieved June 9, 2022)

How FDI benefits Canadians

Get to know some of the many Canadians who benefit from foreign direct investment – and why their jobs matter to them.

Who is investing in Canada

Who is investing in Canada

Across all industries, Canada continues to attract global companies and innovative, high-growth businesses from around the world. They come to Canada, set down roots and stay for the long term. Get to know some of the companies that have invested in Canada below.

Berkshire Hathaway Energy Canada (BHE Canada)

Type of investment
Wind turbines
Total invested
$199.9 million
Total jobs
13
Source country
United States
Location
Ridge, AB

Google

Type of investment
Expansion and new offices
Total invested
$327.7 million
Total jobs
3,500
Source country
United States
Location
Montréal, QC; Toronto, ON; Waterloo, ON

Grieg Seafood

Type of investment
Aquaculture facility
Total invested
$233 million
Source country
Norway
Location
Marystown, NL

Siemens Energy

Type of investment
First waste heat-to-power facility in Canada
Total invested
$200.3 million
Total jobs
11
Source country
Germany
Location
Greenview, AB

Sanofi

Type of investment
Influenza vaccine production facility
Total invested
$927.9 million
Total jobs
300
Source country
France
Location
Toronto, ON

HCL Technologies

Type of investment
New Digital Acceleration Centre
Total jobs
350
Source country
India
Location
Mississauga, ON

Cargill

Type of investment
Canola processing facility
Total invested
$350 million
Total jobs
50
Source country
United States
Location
Regina, SK

BusPatrol

Type of investment
New office and R&D centre
Total invested
$184.1 million
Total jobs
150
Source country
United States
Location
Montréal, QC

Global companies changing Canadian lives and communities

Meet the companies behind some of the most exciting recent investment announcements in Canada.

LG Energy Solution and Stellantis choose Canada

Umicore chooses Canada for first-of-its-kind EV battery materials plant

Why do global companies choose Canada?

Canada is a big draw for companies looking to grow on a global scale.

Here are just some of the reasons why:

Highly skilled workers

Canada has the most educated workforce in the world. Canadians bring valued skills and expertise to all fields of work.

Easy access to global markets

Canada’s focus on free and open trade with the rest of the world connects global businesses with 1.5 billion consumers in 51 countries worldwide.

Welcoming business environment

Canada is a stable and
cost-effective place to do business. Canada is #1 in the G7 for banking stability and access and our quality of life is #3 in the world.

Invest in Canada’s role

Invest in Canada’s role

At Invest in Canada, we find the best to invest. We work with government partners and investment attraction agencies to seek out the most committed and best qualified companies to invest in Canada. We provide personalized services to global companies to support their investment plans. Once they’re established in Canada, we help them identify and act on new opportunities for growth.

What it means for Canada

We’re focused on helping to build a prosperous, sustainable economy for our communities, our country and our world. This means promoting Canada as a top destination to global companies looking to expand their operations and reach new markets. Through this work, we help companies create high-quality jobs for Canadians, support economic development in communities both large and small, and open opportunities for Canadian industry to innovate and thrive.

Canada’s team approach to investment promotion

As Canada’s national investment promotion agency, we work with partners across the country to promote Canada as an investment destination:

  • provincial and territorial governments
  • municipalities across Canada
  • investment promotion agencies
  • industry associations

Global Affairs Canada’s Trade Commissioner Service, located in 161 cities around the world, helps identify investors, connect them to our network, and provide them expertise and support.

“Umicore is a company with a 200-year history. We have done many investment projects during that time. This project that has been architected by Invest in Canada was a benchmark in the history of Umicore.”

Mathias Miedreich, CEO, Umicore

Read the
FDI Report 2022

Get the latest numbers on investment into Canada

Every year, Invest in Canada releases an annual report on the state of foreign direct investment into Canada. Featuring videos, insights and the latest investment figures, the FDI Report tells the story of global businesses coming to Canada and what that means for Canadians.

Explore the FDI Report 2022

An inside look at FDI in Canada

Discover the global companies investing in Canada and meet the Canadians they employ in communities across Canada. Learn how FDI creates opportunities for Canadians to find highly skilled jobs and advance their careers in their own communities.

FDI reaches 15-year high in Canada

Finding the best to invest

Why Agrocorp continues to invest in plant-based proteins in Saskatchewan

How KSAT chose Inuvik, NWT for its new satellite ground station

What AV Group’s investment in New Brunswick means for the local community and global markets

How Roche is strengthening global pharmaceutical supply chains by investing in Ontario

Why Vancouver is a global hub for video game development

How Elkem is creating a greener future by investing in biocarbon in Québec

What Roquette’s investment in the world’s largest pea protein plant means to Manitoba

How Grieg Seafood and Marystown, Newfoundland and Labrador are growing together

Why Sekisui invested in Charlottetown for its largest manufacturing facility in North America

How Nova Bus and Saint-Eustache, Québec are leading the way in electric buses

Why Toyota has been investing in Canada since 1988

Mining the future: Rio Tinto’s iron ore operations in Labrador City

Siemens: A technology leader in Canada for 110 years

New gaming studio: Ubisoft Sherbrooke designing the future of video games

Global video game giant Ubisoft expands video game and tech studio in Winnipeg

Siemens: creating economic prosperity in Drummondville, Québec