Beyond De-Risking: China and Canada’s Trade Resilience

Join the discussion as The China Institute brings together experts to examine what Canada–China trade means for Canadian trade strategy, economic security, and diversification.

22 September 2026



 

October 9, 2026 | 10:00–11:30 a.m. Mountain Time (online)

 

Canada's push to diversify its exports runs through the Asia-Pacific, and China sits at the centre of that region's demand and production networks. Debates about Canada–China trade are often framed as a choice between security and prosperity. Report Beyond De-Risking: China and Canada’s Trade Resilience takes a different approach: it examines how bilateral trade works as a production system.

Drawing on product-level trade data and Canada's supply-use tables, the report finds that Chinese inputs reach deep into Canadian industry but rarely create single-supplier dependence. Real bottlenecks exist, particularly in refined critical minerals. Canadian exports such as canola, pulp, potash, and energy hold a stronger position in China's import profile than headline shares suggest. China also offers the largest single opportunity for growing Canada's non-U.S. exports.

Lead author Dr. Xiaowen Zhang (University of Alberta) will be joined by Patrick Leblond (Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Ottawa), and Rachel Ziemba (Ziemba Insights) to discuss what these findings mean for Canadian trade strategy, economic security, and diversification.  

Moderated by Dr. Anton Malkin, Head of Research, The China Institute.