Canada-Peru relations
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Bilateral relations
Canada and Peru’s growing and multifaceted bilateral relationship is grounded in shared commitments to free trade, climate action, inclusive economic growth, and regional cooperation. Through longstanding development cooperation and the Canada-Peru Free Trade Agreement (FTA), both countries are deepening a partnership that promotes sustainable growth while supporting environmental stewardship and biodiversity conservation. Strong people-to-people connections, academic collaboration, and cultural exchange further strengthen mutual understanding and highlight the shared values that underpin the partnership.
Canada is represented by the Embassy of Canada to Peru, in Lima, while Peru is represented in Canada by the Peruvian Embassy in Ottawa and consulates in Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver.
Trade relations
Peru is Canada’s second-largest bilateral merchandise trading partner in South and Central America. Driven by the Canada-Peru FTA and Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in which Canada and Peru are both members, bilateral trade reached $7.3 billion in 2024. Over the past 25 years, Canadian direct investment in Peru has grown to nearly $15.6B, with the majority of investments in the mining sector. In 2023, Canadian mining assets in Peru amounted to nearly $11 billion, ranking as Peru’s second-largest foreign investor in this sector.
Sectors that the Trade Commissioner Service (TCS) has identified as priorities based on local opportunities for Canadian capabilities are extractives, infrastructure, defence/disaster response, agriculture, clean technology, and education. The TCS works closely with Export Development Canada (EDC), the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC), as well as provinces and territories to help Canadian companies pursue opportunities in Peru.
Peru is a founding member of the Pacific Alliance, a regional initiative established in 2011 along with Chile, Colombia, and Mexico. The Pacific Alliance seeks to promote greater competitiveness and economic growth for member countries, with the objective of moving toward the free movement of goods, services, capital, and people among its members. With shared interests in advocating for open markets, free trade, and the rule of law, Canada has been a strong supporter of the Pacific Alliance since its inception.
Peru joined the Global Trade and Gender Arrangement (GTAGA) on June 13, 2022, as a means to work closely with Canada and other members (Chile, Mexico, New Zealand, and Colombia) to promote gender responsive trade policies and advance gender equality and women’s economic empowerment.
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Development
Canada has been a development partner since 1968. In the early 2000s, Canada and the Organization of American States (OAS) supported Peru’s return to democracy and strengthened its electoral and human rights institutions. Canada supported the work of Peru’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission related to the political violence and terrorism that affected the country in the 1980s and 1990s.
Peru is a resource-rich, upper middle-income country with great growth potential, two decades of macroeconomic success, and significant reductions in poverty. Since the early 2000s, sustained economic growth, driven largely by mining exports and structural reforms, has helped reduce poverty and expand the middle class. However, this growth has not benefitted all regions or populations equally, underscoring the importance of continued efforts to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth and expand opportunities for women and marginalized groups. Peru also has among the greatest biodiversity in the world yet is also among the countries most vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters.
To respond to these challenges, Canadian assistance is being provided to various levels of government to improve accountability, transparency, and efficiency in service delivery and reinforce democratic principles and inclusive governance. This assistance also addresses key socio-economic issues, including climate action, governance, and gender equality.
Canada also works with Peruvian counterparts to strengthen climate resilience, advance environmental protection, promote climate-smart agriculture, and support nature‑based solutions. These efforts help communities adapt to droughts, floods, wildfires, and other challenges while protecting habitats and livelihoods. Canada also supports women’s leadership in climate action, improve Indigenous livelihoods through value chains like coffee, cacao, vanilla, and handicrafts, and help small producers manage forests and water sustainably. Canada promotes trade readiness for women-led small and medium-sized enterprises, connects Peruvian firms with Canadian importers, and leverages public-private funding to support conservation, green businesses, and wildfire recovery.
Emphasis is also being placed on promoting a vibrant civil society and the protection of human rights, including for Indigenous and LGBTQI+ populations, by advancing gender equality and women’s and girl’s rights, including sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Canada also provides international assistance on regional, multi-country, and transboundary issues, such as the ongoing migration crisis, which has led to roughly 1.7 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants living in Peru.
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Partnerships and organizations
To develop effective responses to today’s most pressing global challenges, Canada and Peru work closely in multilateral fora, such as:
- Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
- International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
- International Criminal Court (ICC)
- Open Government Partnership (OGP)
- Organization of American States (OAS)
- Pacific Alliance
- United Nations (UN)
- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
- World Trade Organization (WTO)
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