Canadian businesses continued to choose the UK as their preferred European investment location in 2006/2007. A record number of 82 Canadian companies expanded their operations into the UK, up more than 9% over 2005/2006, creating more than 1,600 new jobs in the UK.

By country, Canada was the third largest investor in the UK behind the United States and France, but ahead of Japan, Germany, Australia, India, China and Ireland.

Globally, the UK recorded its highest ever number of inward investment projects, rising 17% over 2005/2006 from 1,220 to 1,431 and creating over 36,000 new jobs, according to figures published by UK Trade and Investment.

“For the fourth consecutive year, the UK has attracted a record number of investment successes, maintaining its position as the largest recipient of foreign direct investment in Europe and second only to the US world-wide,” said John Hutton, Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, in a release.


“Canada continues to flourish as a source for FDI into the UK, ranking in the top five countries for inward investment for the last five years. These figures demonstrate the extent to which Canadian and other foreign companies see the UK as one of the best places in the world to do business and as the best entry point to the wider European Union market,” stated Nicholas Armour, British Consul-General and Director of Trade & Investment for Canada.

Within Canada, Ontario generated 53% of investment projects, while Quebec was the source of 18% of Canadian investment projects and western Canada generated 28% of projects. Together, the high tech and financial services sectors represented more than half of the Canadian investment projects into the UK in 2006/2007.