It marks the first visit to Canada by a General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in August 1973. They upgraded their ties to a Comprehensive Partnership in November 2017 during the official visit to Vietnam by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Since then, the value of bilateral import-export trade has grown robustly. The entry into force of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in January 2019 marked a new phase in economic, trade, and investment relations, with two-way trade surging by 170%. Vietnam-Canada trade relations have become a highlight of bilateral trade cooperation among CPTPP members. Vietnam is currently Canada's leading trade partner within ASEAN. Bilateral trade turnover reached 8.6 billion USD in 2025; in the first six months of 2026, it reached nearly 5 billion USD, an increase of over 27% compared to the same period the previous year.
In addition, investment activities have also yielded notable results. Canada currently ranks 14th out of 143 countries and territories investing in Vietnam, with 294 active projects and a total registered FDI capital of nearly 5 billion USD.
Canada continues to maintain Official Development Assistance (ODA) projects for Vietnam. The total value of Canadian ODA to Vietnam since 1990 has reached nearly 2 billion USD, focusing primarily on poverty reduction, the rights of women and girls, agricultural development, capacity building, support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and food safety.
Education and training are a priority in the bilateral relationship. Currently, there are over 20,000 Vietnamese students studying in Canada. The Vietnamese community in Canada numbers 300,000 people and they have made significant contributions to the socio-economic development and cultural enrichment of Canada.
Alongside the continuous development of political and diplomatic ties, security and defense cooperation between Vietnam and Canada has been vigorously promoted within the framework of their Comprehensive Partnership. People-to-people exchanges, and local-level cooperation are becoming increasingly vibrant and effective. Cultural weeks and exchange events are frequently organized in both Vietnam and Canada. The two sides also share common views on international issues and cooperate closely within multilateral mechanisms such as the United Nations, La Francophonie, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.
