Canada just built a "Team Canada" for exports. Defence was name-dropped - but not seated at the table.
What if the whole weight of the Canadian government was behind you when you export?
Aerospace Defence and Security Expo (ADSE) 2026 just wrapped up in British Columbia.
Days before, International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu launched the Strategic Exports Office (SEO) - Canada’s new tool for winning business abroad.
The mission: help Canadian companies close deals overseas and break through the barriers that stall exports.
“A new Strategic Exports Office at Global Affairs Canada will curate a pipeline of international business opportunities and build sophisticated, proactive roadmaps for Canadian senior-level engagement to open doors and remove roadblocks for Canadian companies.”
(mandate for the Strategic Exports Office introduced in Canada’s federal budget - thanks to @BuildCanada Commitment - Outcomes Tracker - Build Canada )
The SEO Playbook
The SEO combines diplomatic muscle with market intelligence and financial backing.
It targets large-scale export opportunities that move the needle for Canada’s economy.
Instead of leaving companies to navigate the maze alone, SEO lines up government support across departments. When a deal needs a final push, senior officials step in to advocate directly.
Aerospace and Defence are front and centre, along with infrastructure and energy - just as well, Canada already competes globally in these sectors.
Extra government backing could be the difference-maker on major contracts.
Meet the Council
Sidhu also launched the Strategic Exports Advisory Council to bring private sector leaders to the table with government and drive trade diversification. Their mandate: flag exporter challenges and help shape how the SEO operates.
The members of the council:
Where’s the Pointy End?
Despite all the hoopla, the council misses the pointy end of the defence sector. Scan for a pure-play defence voice and you come up empty. Munitions, weapons, and vehicle industries are noticeably absent.
AI and Tech are also strangely under-represented. No Nat Gas. And ScotiaBank?
It’s a whole-of-government coordination layer, and the companies chosen represent scale: hundreds of thousands of jobs, export volume, balance-sheet weight to back senior-level advocacy. Dual-use players like CAE and MDA Space will be doing double duty as the aerospace-and-defence voice by proxy.
Canada excels in the niche domains already present, but the defence sector needs to move ahead as a whole to meet our export goals. Room for growth in the future?
The Strategic Impact of SMBs
Big primes make the news, but SMBs are the backbone of Canada’s defence and aerospace supply chains.
Ottawa wants to double exports to non-U.S. markets by 2035. But that only happens if smaller firms scale up and win internationally.
Export growth is already at the heart of Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy.
The SEO brings market intelligence to SMBs. Better coordination means fewer dead-ends when chasing contracts abroad. Better advocacy means Canadian officials in your corner when it counts.
Canada booked over $28B in international sales last year. Exports to non-U.S. markets jumped 17% from 2024 to 2025.
Ottawa made trade diversification a top priority and is turning to more government support to push this agenda.
Abroad, this looks like more wiggle room for diplomats to secure commercial interests through diplomatic channels. At home, we’re getting the SEO as an institutional tool.
Defence and aerospace SMBs: keep the SEO on your radar.
P.S. – 1,419 of you are shaping transatlantic relations with www.canadaxeurope.com. Thanks for being a part of it!