Part 2: B.C.’s Trade Mission to Asia – Malaysia & South Korea

In June 2025, Premier David Eby, accompanied by British Columbia’s (B.C.) Minister of Agriculture and Food, the Honourable Lana Popham and Parliamentary Secretary for Trade, Paul Choi, led a 10-day trade mission to Japan, Malaysia and South Korea. The delegation, comprising representatives from B.C.’s business and academic sectors, showcased the province as a dependable global trade partner—highlighting its strengths in areas such as critical minerals, clean energy, forestry, agriculture and its strategically positioned ports.

Malaysia: First Official Trade Visit

On June 5, Premier Eby, Minister Popham and Parliamentary Secretary Choi arrived in Kuala Lumpur for B.C.’s first-ever trade mission to Malaysia—an emerging market where B.C. exported $162 million in goods in 2024. Canada established diplomatic ties with Malaysia over six decades ago, and the Indo-Pacific region continues to grow as a crucial area for B.C.’s economic diversification, particularly under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

Given B.C.’s geographical advantage as the closest North American region to Asia, the mission emphasized building long-term partnerships across Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) markets to counter global trade uncertainty.

Spotlight on Energy Partnership

While in Malaysia, Eby and Choi met with Petronas, which owns 25 percent of the $40 billion LNG Canada project in Kitimat, B.C. The first shipments from the project left B.C. shores in June 2025, with Petronas responsible for exporting 3.5 million tonnes/year of liquified natural gas (LNG) in the first phase.

Discussions reaffirmed B.C.’s support for responsible LNG development that drives economic growth, clean energy leadership and Indigenous partnerships. The province is advancing thoughtful permitting and planning strategies to maintain long-term energy security for Asia.

The B.C. delegation also met with Gentari, Petronas’ clean energy subsidiary investing heavily in hydrogen, wind power and green mobility in Canada.

B.C. is Canada’s leader in hydrogen and fuel-cell technology, home to half of the nation’s firms in the field—making clean energy collaboration with Malaysia a key priority.

Quick Facts:

• In 2021, B.C. became the first province in Canada to release a Hydrogen Strategy.
• 98 percent of the power generated for B.C.’s integrated grid comes from clean or renewable resources, making B.C. the leader in North America when it comes to clean energy.

Watch the video to learn more about B.C.’s clean energy sector.

Short Length – Clean Energy – 16×9 – English Captions from Trade and Invest BC on Vimeo.

Digital Economy and Agrifood Opportunities

The mission included talks with Malaysian financial institutions on tariffs, investment, FinTech and opportunities in Malaysia’s expanding digital payments ecosystem. Choi and Eby also met the Malaysia Minister of Digital Industry to discuss Malaysia’s digitalization strategy and the upcoming Malaysia Smart Nation Expo.

Meanwhile, Minister Popham met with Malaysia’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security and the Halal Development Corporation. Discussions focused on B.C.’s agrifood exports and halal certification—an important step for expanding trade given B.C.’s reputation for safe, high-quality food.

Watch the video to learn more about B.C.’s agrifoods and seafood sector.

Full Length – Agrifood and Seafood – 16×9 – English Captions from Trade and Invest BC on Vimeo.

South Korea: Celebrating Decades of Partnership

Following Malaysia, the B.C. team traveled to South Korea—B.C.’s fourth-largest trade partner. In 2024, B.C. exported $3.6 billion in goods to South Korea, an 8 percent increase from the previous year. B.C.’s trade and investment office has operated in Korea for 17 years, and the Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement has driven a 98 percent export growth since 2015.

This was Premier Eby’s second trade mission to Korea, with many meetings focused on celebrating longstanding ties, especially with sister province Gyeonggi. These relationships have deepened trade, investment and cultural exchange.

Progress in Energy, Research and Education

One highlight was the anticipated 2025 milestone of Korea Gas Corporation receiving its first LNG shipment from Canada, helping reduce coal reliance and deepen investment ties.

Academic collaborations also flourished. Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with University of British Columbia (UBC) to promote research, faculty exchanges and innovation. Simon Fraser University entered into two MOUs—one with POSTECH’s Advanced Materials Research Program and another with Seoul National University’s Smart Farm Research Centre—to strengthen scholarly cooperation and agritech development. These partnerships promise new insights for B.C. farmers and researchers.

Connecting with Korean Industry Giants

A luncheon brought together executives from leading Korean conglomerates—Samsung, Hyundai, LG, SK, POSCO and more—along with government banks, venture capital firms and institutions like POSTECH and Korean Agency for Infrastructure Technology Advancement (KAIA). B.C. companies showcased their products outside the banquet hall to spark connections with Korean buyers.

Minister Popham and Paul Choi also attended the Seoul Food & Hotel 2025 trade show, where B.C. had a strong presence in Canada’s pavilion. The event offered B.C. companies a platform to meet Korean buyers and engage with the Canada Trade Commissioner Service’s agrifood team.

Trade Mission Takeaways

“There’s a deep respect for B.C. as a trusted source of high-quality food,” said Minister Popham. “I was proud to share our stories and build relationships—there’s strong interest in bringing B.C. products overseas.”

“This trade mission to Japan, Malaysia and South Korea has strengthened relationships and unlocked new opportunities,” said Choi. “B.C. is well-positioned to meet the needs of growing Asian economies. We’ll continue promoting B.C.’s strengths in the region.”

To learn more about investing, expanding or buying in B.C. or exporting to the Indo-Pacific region contact Trade and Invest BC.