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September FY2023
METI Minister Nishimura Visits Canada

METI Minister Nishimura Visits Canada

September 22, 2023

On September 21 (Thur.), 2023, Mr. Nishimura Yasutoshi, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, visited Ottawa, Canada. In Ottawa, he met with relevant ministers and signed memorandums of cooperation concerning battery supply chains as well as industrial science and technology, including quantum and AI, with the government of Canada. In addition, he attended a public-private roundtable on battery supply chains.

1. Meetings with relevant ministers

(1) Meeting with H.E. Mr. François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

Minister Nishimura held a meeting with Minister Champagne. The ministers welcomed the signing of the MOC concerning battery supply chains and the MOC on industrial science and technology and agreed to further deepen the industrial cooperation between Japan and Canada. The two sides exchanged views on the potential for collaboration between the two countries in the digital field, including 5G and Open RAN, and Minister Nishimura shared Japan’s hopes that Canada will increase imports and consumption of Japanese food products after the discharge of ALPS treated water.

(2) Bilateral meeting with H.E. Ms. Mary Ng, Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development

Minister Nishimura held a meeting with Minister Ng. The ministers exchanged views on cooperation toward a CPTPP meeting, a WTO meeting, and a G7 Trade Ministers' Meeting, cooperation under the two MOCs that Japan and Canada have signed, and a trade mission of Canada scheduled to be dispatched to Japan in the fall of 2023, which will be led by Minister Ng. The ministers agreed that Japan and Canada will continue to work together as partners sharing common values. Also, Minister Nishimura expressed Japan’s hopes that Canada will increase imports and consumption of Japanese food products after the discharge of ALPS treated water into the sea.

(3) Bilateral meeting with H.E. Mr. Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

Minister Nishimura held a meeting with Minister Wilkinson. The ministers welcomed the signing of the MOC concerning battery supply chains and agreed to further enhance Japan-Canada energy cooperation, including LNG, nuclear power, and hydrogen and ammonia. Also, Minister Nishimura shared Japan’s hopes that Canada will increase imports and consumption of Japanese food products after the discharge of ALPS treated water into the sea.

2. Signing ceremony for the MOCs with the government of Canada

Minister Nishimura signed an MOC concerning battery supply chains and an MOC on industrial science and technology, including quantum and AI, with the relevant ministers of Canada (Minister Champagne, Minister Ng, and Minister Wilkinson), and the ministers agreed to accelerate Japan-Canada collaboration in both fields.

3. Public-private roundtable on battery supply chains

METI held a public-private roundtable on battery supply chains, jointly with the Battery Association for Supply Chain (BASC), which is an industrial association in the battery industry, and executives of seven Japanese companies (Panasonic Energy Co., Ltd., Prime Planet Energy & Solutions (PPES), Asahi Kasei Corp., Toyota Tsusho America Inc., Mitsubishi Canada Limited, Mitsui & Co. (U.S.A.), Inc., and Sumitomo Corporation), officials of the government of Canada, and Canadian battery-related companies.