OTTAWA – Almost seven in 10 Canadian business managers expect trade with China to increase over the next two years, up from 52 percent in 2025, according to a Canadian business community survey released on Friday.

The survey, undertaken by the Canada China Chamber of Commerce, also found that 48 percent of respondents view China as a strategic market for their sector or enterprise, up from 31 percent in 2025.

Additionally, 42 percent of respondents consider China a more reliable trade partner for Canada than the United States, which received 22 percent. This figure was up from 29 percent in 2025.

Three in four respondents view the opportunities and risks of engaging with China as at least equally balanced, while 35 percent believe opportunities outweigh risks.

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Meanwhile, the perceived difficulty of accessing the Chinese market declined year over year, with 29 percent saying doing business with China is difficult for companies in their industry, down from 41 percent in 2025.

"The results show a clear year-over-year increase in the Canadian business community's confidence in the opportunities presented by China," said Jun Deng, president of the Canada China Chamber of Commerce.

"As Canada and China enter a new phase of their bilateral relationship, more businesses see China as a strategic market, expect bilateral trade to grow and recognize the potential benefits of greater trade and investment between the two countries," he said.

The survey sampled 1,008 randomly selected Canadian adults employed at the middle-management level or above in companies operating in Canada.