Trudeau in Singapore promoting trade, business: ‘Canada is a hot spot for us’

Singapore businesses are looking to Canada for ways it can reduce greenhouse gas emissions while strengthening global supply chains, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited the city-state to promote businesses and products from back home.

Trudeau held four meetings on Thursday with business leaders in the region and is expected to meet with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Friday.

Vijay Iyengar, chairman and managing director of a company that invests in sustainable sourcing of agri-food products, met with Trudeau on Thursday.

During the meeting, he said Agrocorp International, which is already invested heavily in Saskatchewan and Alberta, is looking for ways it can reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and to “do what is right, knowing what is good for our future.”

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“Canada is a hot spot for us,” said Iyengar about future investment.

Trudeau sold Canada as a place of stability, growth and diversity that will provide Singapore with reliability and job growth.

2:14 Trudeau kicks off Indo-Pacific tour in Indonesia

The prime minister is in Asia this week to promote trade as well as Canadian energy and products, meeting with Indo-Pacific leaders and attending two summits.

“A large part of promoting Canada’s interest out here is the touch that’s required between senior government and senior private sector leaders,” said Wayne Farmer, president of the Canada-ASEAN Business Council on Thursday.

The visit to Singapore comes after a stop in Jakarta, Indonesia, where Canada launched a strategic partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The partnership is considered a symbolic gesture that reflects Canada’s expanded presence in the Indo-Pacific region, with Trudeau saying it shows the progress being made on a free-trade agreement with the 10 countries in ASEAN.

This weekend he will head to India for the G20 leaders’ summit in New Delhi.