APF Canada Investment Monitor 2018 Shows that Canada’s Pension Funds are Leading the Way in Investment in the Asia Pacific

VANCOUVER, B.C. – MAY 1, 2018 – The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada is pleased to announce the release of the APF Canada Investment Monitor 2018: Report on Canadian Investment in the Asia Pacific, providingthe first comprehensive insight into Canada’s foreign direct investment in Asia.

The report was released online today by APF Canada (http://www.investmentmonitor.ca/) and captures C$192 billion of Canadian investment through 2,073 deals by 1,098 Canadian companies in 27 Asia Pacific economies from 2003 to 2017.

In partnership with The School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary, and with support from AdvantageBC, the Bank of Canada, Export Development Canada, andthe Government of British Columbia, the Investment Monitor supplements existing coverage of Canada-Asia investment ties and provide facts for an informed public debate on foreign investment.

The Investment Monitor is a three-year initiative that tracks and catalogues two-way foreign direct investment flows between Canada and Asia from 2003 to the present. It includes three annual reports: year one (2017) tracked Asia Pacific investment in Canada, year two focuses on Canadian investment in the Asia Pacific, and year three (2019) will track two-way investments between cities. 

“The centre of economic gravity has shifted to the Asia Pacific region and Canada must understand the nature and scope of the unique opportunities that exist for investment,” said APF Canada President and CEO, Stewart Beck. “The APF Canada Investment Monitor 2018 provides the necessary analysis and understanding of trends to assist our thought-leaders in making informed policy and investment decisions for existing and emerging Asian markets.”

Highlights of the Investment Monitor 2018: Report on Canadian Investment in the Asia Pacific include:

  • Pension funds are emerging as drivers of Canadian investment, growing from 1 per cent of Canada's total investment value in 2003 to 2007 to 25 per cent in 2013 to 2017.
  • Canadian investment in China has declined since 2008, with most of that Canadian investment in the financial services sector.
  • Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec account for 99 per cent of Canadian investment in the Asia Pacific, with Ontario-based companies being the major investor, accounting for 60 per cent.
  • The value of mergers-and-acquisition investment in the Asia Pacific has grown from 18 per cent of Canada's total investment in 2003 to 2007 to 50.2 per cent in 2013 to 2017, overtaking greenfield investment.
  • Australia, China and India are the main destinations of Canadian investment in the Asia Pacific.
  • Investment in India into consumer-driven sectors has been on the upswing since 2010, as Canadian firms position themselves to capitalize on the country’s projected consumption growth in the coming years.
  • Investment in Australia has been steadily rising since 2013, mainly in the natural resources sector, with a specific focus on mining companies.

Learn More:

Explore the Investment Monitor at: www.investmentmonitor.ca

The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada is a not-for-profit organization focused on Canada's relations with Asia. Learn more about the Foundation at: www.asiapacific.ca

Media Contacts:

Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada

Michael Roberts, Communications Manager
michael.roberts@asiapacific.ca
604-630-1527