Canada, with an estimated population of 37.6 million, is a huge world import market. It is a country whose economy is highly dependent on foreign trade, as evidenced by the many bilateral and multilateral trade agreements it has negotiated and signed with various countries to ensure the normal functioning of its economy.
The three key sectors of its import market which may be of definite interest to exporters from developing countries and Mali in particular are: agri-food, textiles and clothing, and home decor. Imports of agri-food products from Canada reached $11.2 billion in 2019, those of textiles and clothing $14 billion in 2019, and home decor items $3 billion in 2019. These items originated mainly from the United States, China, the European Union (United Kingdom, Germany), Japan, and Mexico.
Canada also offers duty-free and quota-free access to least developed countries (LDCs) as well as lower than normal tariffs to more than 100 other developing countries, giving them a clear competitive advantage. This preferential Canadian Market Access Initiative has been extended until 2024.