International Trade Committee on June 11th, 2026

[Todd Winterhalt]

Maybe I'll just reillustrate a couple of quick points there.

Absolutely, the pivot to new markets has been fundamental to EDC's current strategic plan and our activities of the last two years. We've invested a great deal of additional resources—human and financial—into the Asian region. We're seeing real growth there—about 30% over the course of the last two years. It's so much that it has now actually achieved a level footing with European export support from EDC. That's something we had never seen previously.

We also do a fair amount of sharing of market intelligence. From the perspective of our international operations, we're helping Canadian companies that have maybe only ever exported to the United States understand some of the opportunities that are present outside of the U.S., whether that's in South America, Europe or Asia, as I suggested. We do that through a number of webinars and through information products that we're happy to share in partnership with the trade commissioner service to really amplify their efforts.

In particular, we are looking at a number of key, fast-developing sectors like defence and security, where EDC support has gone from zero last year to $1.6 billion in just one calendar year. There are also critical minerals, where we're investing in the development of new mine sites here in Canada, to help get them up to scale more quickly and eventually export and help change that storyline.

Through things like artificial intelligence and digital technologies, where we see absolutely incremental growth outside of Canada and the United States, it's investing in those companies and helping them to scale more quickly and then deliver incremental exports.

[Yasir Naqvi, Liberal, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Ms. Dorval, go ahead.

[Véronique Dorval]

I would say that we've done four different things related to that.

I'm going to go back to the pivot to grow program. It's really about defining and helping entrepreneurs define how best to adapt to the environment, including exporting. Within that, we have increased our offering and the number of consultants we have in the sector of exportation.

We are helping with specific sectorial programs that are affected by tariffs for the exporter. This is helping more from a liquidity point of view in adapting to that environment.

We've put in place LIFT, which is a program to support entrepreneurs investing in AI and in robotization and automation, to help them become even more competitive and more productive, so they can go on the international stage and be competitive.

We are also putting more emphasis on some critical sectors that will provide opportunities to export, like defence. It's a big platform—$6 billion—that has been launched and that will develop around that sector.

Those are four things we're doing.

[Yasir Naqvi, Liberal, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Starting with BDC, can you share information with us on what particular markets you are focusing on besides the United States? What steps have you taken?

In the case of EDC, I know you are opening new offices. Can you speak to the more tactical approach that you may be deploying to help Canadian businesses in the other markets, whether it's Indo-Pacific, Latin America, etc.

[Todd Winterhalt]

I'm happy to start.

It is really about the hands-on approach that helps make the difference.

It is, firstly, the identification of opportunities. My colleague spoke a little bit earlier about the key partnerships we have with major multinational corporations globally. Understanding their supply chain and helping to support their purchase of Canadian goods and equipment allows us to make connections that otherwise don't happen often with smaller or medium-sized Canadian companies. Those international networks and the hand-to-hand connections that are made in market and here in Canada are absolutely essential and establish presence in the supply chain.

We gave an earlier example where we had helped a Montreal manufacturer get into an EPC company. They actually took advantage of that relationship to land a multi-million-dollar opportunity in north Africa.

It is about relationships and introducing those kinds of tangible opportunities to each other.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Thank you very much.

We'll go to Mr. Simard for two and a half minutes.

[Mario Simard, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

I would like to come back to a question that my colleague Mr. Chambers touched on earlier about the consulting services you provide.

When 25% tariffs were imposed on finished products containing aluminum, many small businesses that aren't used to dealing with this were forced to seek out external consulting services, often at a rate of $300 an hour. Those are significant costs for them.

However, this is probably information you have access to. Is this a service you offer? I don't know if it's possible, but could these people have access to some kind of hotline?

I'm telling you this because I know that, in our region, it was AluQuébec that took on the task of informing people. That organization received many calls from people who wanted to know the details of the tariffs and what the 25% tariffs would apply to.

Is it part of your role to provide this kind of information in a context like the current trade war?

[Véronique Dorval]

Our role is less about providing information to an entire sector and more about helping entrepreneurs one at a time. We've done this through the pivot to grow program.

On the consulting side, we've done two things. We're all well aware that the affected entrepreneurs are facing cash flow constraints. So we offered a 75% discount to make it easier for them to access consulting services in this context. In addition, we offered a very fast four-hour service with an expert. This offer is still available. The service includes explaining the tariffs that apply to a business, for example. At the end of the four hours, the company receives a one-page summary and specific recommendations.

We can therefore help entrepreneurs in that way, by making services affordable for them or by providing highly specialized assistance tailored to a specific need.

[Mario Simard, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

I don't have much time left.

Mr. Winterhalt, earlier, during our previous discussion, we talked about the support provided to the oil and gas sector, and you said that this support was declining. I mentioned the years 2022 through 2025. If you could also outline this decline in your written response, I think it would be helpful. The goal remains the same: not only to understand which sectors are receiving assistance in the context of the tariff crisis, but also to see what the situation is across all sectors.

[Todd Winterhalt]

Sure.

[Mario Simard, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Thank you very much.

We'll go on to Mr. McKenzie, please.

[David McKenzie, Conservative, Calgary Signal Hill, AB]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Madam Chair, is this round five minutes?

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Yes, it is.

[David McKenzie, Conservative, Calgary Signal Hill, AB]

Thank you.

Ms. Dorval, did I understand correctly that earlier you said approximately 7% of BDC clients are currently exporters?

[Véronique Dorval]

That's right.

[David McKenzie, Conservative, Calgary Signal Hill, AB]

Are you making active efforts now to increase that number, and what exactly does that look like? You've touched on some of the things, I think, already today, but I wonder if you could expand on that.

[Véronique Dorval]

Our mandate is not focused on exporting. Again, we have a complementary mandate to EDC related to that. Our mandate is to ensure that Canadian companies are strong and healthy.

All the actions that we have taken, and that I mentioned earlier, are about thinking from a strategic point of view. Does it make sense for them to export, and where? Would that make the company healthier? How can it become more efficient and productive and focus on some specific sector that we know has export potential? Our mandate is not about supporting them with the export part. Our mandate is about making sure they are strong and healthy and that they have the support for that.

[David McKenzie, Conservative, Calgary Signal Hill, AB]

I understand.

Would EDC have anything to add to that, specifically?

[Todd Winterhalt]

Only that it is essential to work together and see it as a bit of a continuum, again. As companies scale and get ready to take advantage of international opportunities, the conversation is a live one, and we're able to kind of refer each direction.

[David McKenzie, Conservative, Calgary Signal Hill, AB]

I'm looking at some data from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, and its business data lab, specifically.

The heading here is “Diversification will require a broader exporter base”, and I'm wondering if you can assist us in sort of understanding that 7%. Does that tend to be fairly concentrated in specific industries? There's also some question about urban concentration versus smaller enterprises in smaller geographic locations in Canada.

I'm trying to understand how we're going to get to the very ambitious goal that our federal government is currently pursuing respecting exports.

[Véronique Dorval]

Pierre, maybe you can provide a perspective on that.

Our base of about 7% of entrepreneurs is slightly below the Canadian average. I think it's more around 10% of companies that are exporting, which makes sense given that we are generally a smaller company.

Pierre, do you want to comment on sectors and geographical dispersion?

[Pierre Cléroux]

Yes, actually, our clients who are exporting are present in many sectors of the economy. It's more about their size sometimes, the ability to do that, but it's also the leadership of the entrepreneur. Some entrepreneurs are more interested in expanding outside Canada than others.

In terms of regions, there are actually a lot of exporters who are not in big cities because a lot of exporters are in the manufacturing sector. Typically, these businesses are in the smaller areas, because that's where a lot of manufacturing is located. We find that a lot of our clients in smaller communities are exporting outside Canada.

[David McKenzie, Conservative, Calgary Signal Hill, AB]

Thank you very much.

I wonder if you could comment on the goal of doubling Canada's non-U.S. exports in 10 years. From a BDC perspective, do you see a pathway? What does that look like? Where are we going to get that kind of growth?

[Véronique Dorval]

Pierre, do you want to answer that?