Canada-Vietnam relations
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Bilateral relations
Canada established diplomatic relations with Vietnam in 1973, opening an Embassy in Hanoi in 1994 and a Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City in 1995. In 2023, our countries marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties. In 2017, a Canada-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership was formally established. The partnership identifies a number of areas for cooperation: political and diplomatic; trade and investment; development cooperation; defence and security; cultural and academic exchange; science, technology and innovation; and people-to-people ties.
In Vietnam, Canada is represented by the Embassy of Canada in Hanoi and the Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City. In Canada, Vietnam is represented by the Embassy of Vietnam and a Trade Office in Ottawa, as well as a Consulate General in Vancouver.
Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, launched in November 2022, provides greater opportunities to deepen relations and enhance cooperation with Vietnam.
Trade relations
Vietnam is Canada’s largest trading partner in ASEAN. In 2023, two-way merchandise trade between Canada and Vietnam totaled $14.1 billion comprised mainly of imports from Vietnam ($13.3 billion, compared to Canada’s merchandise exports of $775.1 million). The priority sectors in Vietnam for Canadian commercial interests are: agriculture and agri-food, education, information and communication technologies, clean technology, infrastructure, aerospace, forestry and wood products, and life sciences.
Vietnam has been a member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) since January 2019, a free trade agreement between Canada, and 10 other countries including: Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and newly acceded U.K. Under the Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy and the CPTPP, Vietnam is an economic partner that plays an important role in advancing Canada’s trade diversification efforts in the region.
Canada is negotiating a free trade agreement (FTA) with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which Vietnam is a member. For more information, please refer to the Canada-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement page.
As CPTPP Commission Chair, Canada will host the 2024 Ministerial Conference in Vancouver on November 27-28, 2024.
In March 2024, Export Development Canada (EDC) announced its intention to open a representative EDC office in Ho Chi Minh City. With an on-the-ground presence in Vietnam, EDC will be able to provide greater support to Canadian companies looking to expand in the region.
Canada-Vietnam Joint Economic Committee (JEC)
On January 10, 2022, Canada and Vietnam established the Canada-Vietnam Joint Economic Committee (JEC), a mechanism dedicated to advancing trade and economic cooperation between Canada and Vietnam. Co-chaired at the Deputy Minister level, it provides an ongoing opportunity to discuss current and emerging trade and commercial issues. The JEC contributes to stronger economic and trade ties between Canada and Vietnam, and a key component of the Comprehensive Partnership. Canada and Vietnam held the inaugural meeting of the JEC in Vancouver on July 6, 2022. The second JEC Meeting took place in Hanoi on March 27, 2024, with the participation of the Minister of International Trade and Deputy Minister of Trade representing Canada.
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Development
Canada has been a partner in Vietnam’s development for more than 30 years which has led to tangible results on poverty reduction and inclusive economic growth. Since 1990, Canada has contributed approximately $1.84 billion in international assistance to support Vietnam’s development and poverty reduction efforts. In 2022, Canada was ranked seventh in providing official development assistance to Vietnam among OECD-Development Assistance Committee members.
Canada's current development assistance programming aligns with Vietnam’s 2021 to 2030 Socio-Economic Development Strategy and its National Action Plan for the implementation of the 2030 sustainable development agenda, and seeks to reduce poverty and inequality, with a focus on growth that works for everyone, gender equality and women's economic empowerment, inclusive governance, climate change and the environment. Through our work, Canada enables small and medium sized businesses, especially in rural areas, to participate more effectively in global value chains. Canada is helping to integrate women and women-owned enterprises into supply chains while fostering a gender-responsive working environment. Canada is also supporting Vietnam’s climate objectives through climate smart agriculture, renewable energy, and energy efficient technologies, and is supporting biodiversity conservation and climate smart coastal communities. Through its Indo-Pacific Strategy, Canada will contribute to Vietnam’s transition to more renewable and sustainable energy sources, and support Vietnam’s commitments to strengthen inclusive governance.
Defence and security
Defence and security relations have strengthened considerably since Canada and Vietnam signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Defence Cooperation in 2019 and on their membership to the Military Training and Cooperation Program (MTCP) in 2018, and two Three-Year Work Plans (2021-23 and 2024-26). These documents institutionalized regular senior-level dialogues, as well as continued co-operation in peacekeeping, maritime security, and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response. A Defence Attaché Office was opened in Hanoi in 2020. In September 2023, a UN Peacekeeping Cooperation MOU was signed during Deputy Minister Chien’s visit to Ottawa for the Defence Policy Dialogue. Canada-Vietnam defence relations have continued to grow in 2024, including in the area of Special Forces Cooperation and with the visit of HMCS Montréal to Vietnam in August 2024. Under Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, Vietnam is a priority partner for military-to-military capacity building, including in the area of Women, Peace and Security.
A new Canada Border Services Agency office also opened in 2022 in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to further strengthen cooperation in areas of joint border management.
Partnerships and organizations
To develop effective responses to today’s most pressing global challenges, Canada and Vietnam work closely in multilateral fora, such as:
- Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
- Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
- La Francophonie
- International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
- United Nations (UN)
- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
- World Trade Organization (WTO)
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