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Canada-Germany relations

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Bilateral relations

Canada and Germany mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2026. Since 1951, our two countries have been steady and principled partners: deepening trade and investment ties, defending democracy, promoting human rights, and supporting effective multilateralism.  

Formal bilateral relations began on July 10, 1951, with the upgrade of Canada’s mission in Bonn to a full embassy and the accreditation of Thomas Clayton Davis as Canada’s first Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany. Germany opened its embassy in Ottawa November 8 of the same year. 

The Canadian embassy was relocated to Berlin in 1999, followed by the inauguration of our current embassy at Leipziger Platz in 2005 — located on a site that once formed part of the former border zone of the Berlin Wall.

Canada collaborates closely with Germany, bilaterally and through its strategic partnership with the European Union (EU), of which Germany is a Member State. Both countries share a deep, multifaceted relationship grounded in shared democratic values, robust trade, and close cooperation in many areas. These include global security, energy, trade and investment, climate action, and research and innovation.

As NATO allies and G7 partners, Canada and Germany collaborate extensively on defence, multilateral diplomacy, and support for Ukraine.

To further enhance the already strong bilateral Canadian-German relations, the Canada-Germany High Level Steering Group on Bilateral Cooperation was established in September 2021. The Steering Group brings together senior officials from the German and Canadian federal governments to strengthen cooperation in a wide range of fields, including peace and security; climate change, energy and natural resources; and innovation, digitalization and the economy. The Steering Group meets annually. The next meeting will take place in Germany in Spring 2026.

 In addition to its embassy in Berlin, Canada has consulates in Munich and Düsseldorf as well as an Honorary Consul in Stuttgart. Those consulates focus on assistance to Canadians as well as trade promotion and investment relations.

In Canada, Germany is represented by its embassy in Ottawa, and maintains consulates in Toronto, Montréal and Vancouver. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and Goethe Institut also maintain offices in Canada.

There is cooperation between Canadian provinces and German federal states, such as Alberta with Saxony, Manitoba with Hamburg, Ontario with Baden-Württemberg, and Quebec with Bavaria, Brandenburg, Hamburg and Saxony. Saskatchewan opened an office at the Embassy in Berlin in June 2023. Ontario maintains an office in the Munich consulate, while Quebec maintains offices in both Berlin and Munich.

Academic and cultural relations

Both countries benefit from their strong cultural connections and people-to-people contacts. Almost 3 million Canadians claim at least partial German ancestry and about 400,000 Canadians travel to Germany each year. A similar number of Germans travel to Canada annually.

Academic links are vibrant. Every year, several thousand German students spend a term or full year at a Canadian college, university or high school. Thousands more young Germans and Canadians travel in each direction for short-term study and research or work as part of the International Experience Canada program.

Canada and Germany cultivate an active cultural exchange. Many Canadian artists became an integral part of German cultural life and German artists are active in Canada. A cultural agreement between Canada and Germany was signed in 1975.

In October 2021, Governor General Mary Simon visited Germany on her first State Visit, where she led the official delegation under Canada's "Guest of Honour" designation at the prestigious Frankfurt Book Fair.

Trade relations

Germany, the largest economy in the EU and the third largest in the world, is a key economic partner for Canada.

Two-way trade has grown significantly since the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) was signed in 2016 and went provisionally into force on September 21, 2017. Germany formally ratified CETA on January 20, 2023.

In 2024, two-way merchandise trade reached $30.5 billion, positioning Germany as Canada’s sixth-largest merchandise trading partner and the largest among EU member states. This total includes Canadian exports to Germany worth $6.9 billion and German exports to Canada worth $23.6 billion. Combined, this represents an increase of 43% since pre-CETA levels. Canada’s top merchandise exports in 2024 included machinery and equipment, mineral fuels and oils, mineral ores, inorganic chemicals and precious stones and metals.

Again in 2024, two-way services trade (which includes travel and tourism) amounted to $8.7 billion, representing an increase of 68.6% compared to pre-CETA levels.

Germany is Canada's sixth-largest foreign investor, with a direct investment stock valued at $40.3 billion (ultimate investor country, 2024). Conversely, Canadian direct investment abroad (CDIA) was approximately $16.2 billion in 2024, positioning Germany as the seventh-largest recipient of CDIA in Europe.

Canada and Germany enjoy a dynamic relationship in science, technology and innovation. Since the 1971 signing of the bilateral S&T Agreement there have been more than 1,500 joint research projects across many priority sectors. These projects bring together multiple stakeholders: governments, research institutes, universities, non-profits and private sector entities. Several German national research institutes (e.g. Max Planck, Helmholtz, Leibniz and Fraunhofer) have established research partnerships with Canadian institutions that address the commercialization of research and development (R&D).

Canadian and German researchers collaborate as part of research projects funded by the EU’s Horizon Europe, the largest collaborative R&D program in the world. The formal agreement for Canada's association to Horizon Europe was signed in July 2024.

Germany is a founding member of the Eureka Network, the world’s largest international platform for industrial R&D collaboration. Canada became a full member of Eureka on June 22, 2022, after participating as an associate member since 2012. Canada and Germany were co-chairs of the Eureka Council for 2024-2025. They also co-chaired the Eureka Global Innovation Summit, which was held in April 2025 in Hannover, Germany.

From March 31 to April 4, 2025, Canada took center stage as the partner country at Hannover Messe, the world's leading trade show for advanced manufacturing technologies. At this event, up to 250 Canadian companies showcased their talent, innovation and commitment to advancing innovative manufacturing solutions that are green, digital and resilient.

During the visit of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to Germany in August 2025, Canadian Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson and German Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Katherina Reiche signed a Joint Declaration of Intent on Critical Minerals Cooperation.

In December, 2025, on the margins of the G7 Industry, Digital and Technology Ministerial in Montréal, Minister Evan Solomon and Germany’s Minister for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation, Karsten Wildberger, launched the Canada–Germany Digital Alliance, a high-level framework to advance bilateral collaboration in artificial intelligence, digital sovereignty, digital infrastructure, quantum technologies, and joint investments in the digital economy.

This alliance was operationalized in February 2026 on the margins of the Munich Security Conference with the signing of the Joint Declaration of Intent on Artificial Intelligence, which aims to support economic security and technological sovereignty. The ministers also announced the launch of the new Sovereign Technology Alliance to strengthen cooperation among trusted partners on advanced technologies.

In February 2026, the Minister of Industry, Mélanie Joly, signed a landmark joint declaration of intent with her German counterpart, Katherina Reiche, Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, to expand bilateral industrial cooperation in strategic sectors—in particular, auto and battery manufacturing and critical minerals.

For further details on foreign direct investment, including information on support available to your company to expand into Canada, please refer to Invest in Canada.

Defence relations

Canada and Germany maintain a strong and evolving defence relationship rooted in shared values, NATO commitments, and strategic cooperation.

In July 2024, Canada, Germany and Norway signed a trilateral partnership centering on maritime security cooperation in the North Atlantic. At the June 2025 NATO Summit at the Hague, Denmark joined the Partnership.

In August 2022, Germany announced that it would join the Montreal-based NATO Climate Change and Security Centre of Excellence (CCASCOE), which was launched in October 2023. The CCASCOE Deputy Director, Dr. Ulrich Seidenberger, is a German national.

Germany and Canada are each leading a NATO Multinational Brigade in the Baltic region (Canada in Latvia and Germany in Lithuania).

In May 2024, Canada announced a contribution of $76 million to Germany’s Immediate Action on Air Defence initiative in support of Ukraine.

Partnerships and organizations

Canada and Germany are like-minded global partners and allies with a shared commitment to bolstering multilateralism and the rules-based international order, including most recently through the Alliance for Multilateralism. Long-standing allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), we cooperate closely on security and defence issues and are also both members of the G7 and G20, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the World Trade Organization (WTO). In these, and other international organizations, we champion common values and interests in areas such as human rights, democracy and the rule of law, international peace and security, global trade, and the environment and combatting climate change.

To develop effective responses to today’s most pressing global challenges, Canada and Germany work closely in multilateral forums, such as:

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