Quebec Premier François Legault to lead economic mission to Germany

Quebec Premier Francois Legault will head to Germany to attend a trade fair in the hopes of strengthening economic ties with Europe. (Jacques Boissinot / The Canadian Press) (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press)

Quebec Premier François Legault will cross the Atlantic next week to attend the Hannover Trade Fair in Germany, The Canadian Press has learned.

His office confirmed that he will lead a major economic mission there from March 29 to April 2 to position Quebec as a partner of choice in European markets.

Since the start of the trade war with U.S. President Donald Trump, Legault has argued that we need to reduce our dependence on the United States and diversify our markets.

This week, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney visited France and the United Kingdom, countries that he described as “reliable,” as part of his first official trip.

This is Legault’s first mission to Germany, although he has already visited France on a number of occasions. He will be accompanied by around a hundred key players from the Quebec business community.

In particular, he will be attending the Hannover Trade Fair (also known as Hannover Messe), the world’s largest industrial technology trade event, which this year is putting the spotlight on Canada.

The fair will host some 4,000 exhibitors from 150 countries. More than 130,000 visitors are expected.

Exhibitors will include companies, manufacturers, and university and research institutes specializing in automation, robotics, quantum intelligence, energy, clean technologies and more.

During this mission, Legault will aim to support Quebec companies and manufacturing associations in their efforts to diversify their markets and improve their productivity.

He will also be seeking to meet political dignitaries and business leaders.

Germany is Quebec’s leading economic partner in Europe. The province exported $1.6 billion worth of products to Germany in 2024.

When he was in opposition in 2015, Legault travelled to Bavaria and Hamburg to learn from their experience and meet with a number of business representatives.

He praised the model of these two federal states, which focused on innovation zones and promoted close cooperation between businesses and universities.

“The trade war launched by President Trump has shown us how essential it is to diversify our markets,” said the premier’s office. “We must protect our economy, our key sectors, our jobs and our workers, but it is also imperative that we redesign our economy to make it less dependent on the United States.”

“The premier’s mission is directly in line with this objective: to develop our trade links with European partners and other markets, particularly in strategic sectors,” it added.

These include innovation, energy transition and green technologies.

“The Hannover Fair is an excellent opportunity for Quebec to strengthen its economic and political relations with Germany and Europe as a whole,” according to the government.

Legault’s economic mission is likely to take place during the federal election campaign. Legault will also be flying to Germany at a time when his government is mired in the SAAQclic crisis.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on March 20, 2025.