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MONTRÉAL, QC — As small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face escalating global trade headwinds and tariff uncertainties, Montréal’s diverse commercial associations are strengthening institutional ties to keep cross-border commerce moving.
Federation of Chinese Associations of Québec (AACQ) joined forces with the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) and the Asia Pacific Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (APASME) to host a key economic forum at Place Ville-Marie. The event brought together nearly 100 business executives, institutional investors, and trade leadership across Montréal’s multicultural business ecosystem to address succession planning, international diversification, and market access.
Opening the briefing, BDC Senior Economist Jovanka Charbonneau outlined macroeconomic pressures impacting cross-border supply chains, urging trade-dependent businesses to diversify revenue streams and leverage strategic financing tools to navigate shifting policy landscapes.
For local Chinese-Canadian enterprises—many operating at the intersection of North American and Asian markets—the gathering highlighted a broader strategic shift: transitioning from isolated business networks toward direct integration with mainstream Canadian financial institutions and regional commercial chambers.
“The primary hurdle for many local Asian-led businesses has rarely been a lack of ambition or market viability, but rather limited access to mainstream financial channels and cross-cultural trade networks,” said Xiuqing Fan, Vice President and Head of Commercial Affairs at AACQ.
AACQ President Paul Haosheng Luo, speaking alongside counterparts from the Chambre de commerce de Montréal Centre Sud Ouest (CCCSOM), the Tawain Chambers of Commerce in Canada Association (TCCCA), the Hong Kong-Canada Business Association (HKCBA), and the L’Association d’affaires Québec Corée (AAQC), emphasized that cross-chamber alliances are becoming vital for SMEs seeking scale in complex regulatory and multi-lingual operating environments.
Following a panel discussion on cross-border corporate acquisitions featuring BDC mid-market financing specialists and local industry leaders, AACQ unveiled a targeted roadmap to support regional firms. The initiative includes dedicated workshops on export financing, structured networking between incoming foreign investors and local legal and accounting specialists, and institutional matchmaking between Québec-based enterprises and expanding international markets.
