The 34th meeting of the Canada-Japan Joint Economic Committee

On December 11, 2025, Japan hosted the 34th meeting of the Canada-Japan Joint Economic Committee (JEC). The JEC meeting was co-chaired by AKAHORI Takeshi, Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan and Rob Stewart, Deputy Minister of International Trade at Global Affairs Canada. YAMANOUCHI Kanji, Japan’s Ambassador to Canada, and Ian McKay, Canada’s Ambassador to Japan and Special Envoy for the Indo-Pacific, also participated in the meeting.

The co-chairs highlighted that the 34th meeting of the JEC was held in a timely manner, as it was the first meeting held under the leadership of the new Prime Ministers of Canada and Japan. Both chairs also underscored the recent high-level engagements, including the bilateral meeting between Prime Minister TAKAICHI Sanae and Prime Minister Mark Carney in November, in Gyeongju, Republic of Korea, and a bilateral meeting between Foreign Minister MOTEGI Toshimitsu and Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand in November, in the Niagara Region, Canada.

On these occasions, Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers recognized the importance of maintaining and strengthening a free and open Indo-Pacific and confirmed the continued progress of the Japan-Canada Action Plan for contributing to a free and open Indo-Pacific region, announced in October 2022.

The co-chairs also welcomed the successful outcomes of the G7 Kananaskis Summit, such as the G7 Critical Minerals Action Plan and the Kananaskis Joint Vision for the Future of Quantum, as well as progress made in areas such as addressing non-market policies and practices; and protecting and promoting emerging technologies, including AI. They confirmed the importance of following up on these outcomes and continuing bilateral cooperation in these fields.

The co-chairs recognized further progress on the Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) concerning Battery Supply Chains and the MOC on Industrial Science and Technology. They highlighted new collaborations between businesses and between R&D institutions of both countries with ongoing consultations on quantum between Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) and National Research Council Canada (NRC). Specifically, on the MOC concerning Battery Supply Chains, dialogues took place in support of the arrangement in October 2024, Ottawa, and in August 2025, Tokyo.

The co-chairs discussed the ongoing collaboration and future potential in trade and investment relations between Canada and Japan, including energy, critical minerals, food security, as well as science and technology. Japan acknowledged Canada’s successful participation in Expo 2025, Osaka, Kansai, Japan, and both chairs discussed further promotion of people-to-people exchanges at all levels. They also highlighted the recent successful business mission by the Business Council of Canada to Tokyo in October, and the Keidanren mission to Ottawa and Toronto in December this year, during which the two business associations signed a Memorandum of Cooperation.

The co-chairs also discussed the importance of upholding the rules-based international trading system and advancing shared priorities at the Fourteenth WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14). Both chairs welcomed the outcome of the Ninth Commission Meeting of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and emphasized the importance of continued close collaboration between the two countries to advance accessions process, to implement outcomes of the General Review, and to develop the Dialogues with EU and ASEAN.

The co-chairs welcomed the Japan-Canada Chambers Council (JCCC) Joint Statement issued on February 6, 2025, in Ottawa, which highlighted the importance of securing critical supply chains, cooperation on energy and clean technologies, and enhancing bilateral trade and investment promotion.

The co-chairs welcomed progress related to the JEC's Priority Areas of Cooperation, as follows:

Energy

• Opening of the LNG Canada Phase 1 project in June 2025, and commencement of construction of the first of the four Small Modular Reactors (SMR) at the Darlington Nuclear Power Plant in Ontario.
• In view of an increasingly disruptive global context, committing to sustained engagement towards a stable and secure supply of energy; and
• Continuing to work together to ensure a stable supply of critical minerals.

Infrastructure

• Affirming Canada’s commitment to remove internal trade barriers between provinces to build One Canadian economy, and
• Reaffirming cooperation within the G7 Working Group on Transport Supply Chains.

Science, technology, and innovation

• Committing to ongoing and future dialogues and cooperation under the Memorandum of Cooperation on Industrial Science and Technology.
• Continuing to work together on digital and emerging technologies, including AI and quantum, in bilateral or multilateral formats such as the G7; and
• Continuing to work together under the Japan-Canada Joint Committee Meeting on Science and Technology Cooperation (JCJC).

Tourism and youth exchanges

• Continuing to work together to strengthen bilateral people‑to‑people exchanges at all levels; and
• Continuing to work together to increase awareness of Working Holiday Programs in both countries to foster people-to-people ties.

Improving the business environment and promoting investment

• Continuing to work towards expanding bilateral investment partnerships, particularly in energy (including LNG, hydrogen and ammonia), critical minerals, and the battery supply chain; and
• Affirming Canada’s commitment to move towards “One Window” for regulatory permissions and “One Project, One Review” to expedite procedures on investments.

Agriculture

• Continuing dialogues, such as the Japan-Canada Agriculture Dialogue, as a forum to cooperate on food security and sustainable agriculture production and food systems; and
• Reaffirming Canada’s commitment to being a reliable supplier of agricultural products to Japan.