On 16 March 2026, the Budapest Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BKIK), in cooperation with the Embassy of Canada to Hungary, Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, organized a professional event titled “Heading to Canada – Export Strategies and Business Networking Opportunities”, attended by representatives of nearly 50 Hungarian companies. The aim of the event was to present opportunities for entering the Canadian market and to share practical experiences.
The program was opened by Dr. Viktória Bódi, Secretary General of BKIK, who emphasized in her welcome speech the importance of strengthening Hungarian–Canadian economic relations. This was followed by remarks from H.E. François Lafrenière, Ambassador of Canada to Hungary, who shared his thoughts on future opportunities for cooperation between the two countries.
The keynote professional presentation was delivered by Danielle Sabourin, Senior Trade Commissioner at the Embassy of Canada to Hungary, Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, who provided a comprehensive overview of current opportunities in the Canadian market, with particular regard to the advantages offered by the CETA agreement and key priority sectors.
A highlight of the event was the roundtable discussion titled “Successful Market Entry and Best Practices,” moderated by András Rév, Regional Foreign Economic Representative for North America (USA, Canada) at the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MKIK). Participants included Danielle Sabourin, Senior Trade Commissioner; Nicholas Sárvári, President of the Canadian-Hungarian Chamber of Commerce; and, representing the corporate sector, Róbert Bíró, CEO of Chameleon Smart Home Plc., Kirill Degtyarev, Business Development Manager at Kuube Hungary Ltd., and László Regőczi, Managing Director of Bonaventura Gold Ltd.
During the discussion, participants presented the challenges and opportunities of entering the Canadian market through concrete examples. László Regőczi (Primus mineral water) highlighted that even basic regulatory compliance—such as mandatory bilingual (English–French) labeling—can pose significant challenges, while increased logistics costs have encouraged innovative solutions, such as exporting multiple Hungarian products together.
Kirill Degtyarev (Kuube Hungary Ltd. – smart street furniture) pointed out that Canada is a highly decentralized market, where decisions are typically made at the local, municipal level, meaning that market entry requires a city-by-city strategy.
Sharing insights from the technology sector, Róbert Bíró (Chameleon Smart Home Plc.) emphasized the importance of adapting products to local needs, as well as focusing on major metropolitan areas (Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal). Participants highlighted that involving a local partner and developing reference projects are often essential for successful market entry.
During the discussion, Danielle Sabourin also highlighted the structural characteristics of the Canadian economy, emphasizing that industries are concentrated in regional clusters (e.g. ICT in Toronto and Vancouver, aerospace in Quebec), making the selection of the right region crucial.
Nicholas Sárvári emphasized that patience and adequate capacity are key prerequisites for entering the Canadian market, as local companies are often larger and operating and legal costs are higher. At the same time, he noted that in the current economic environment, Canada is increasingly open to European partners, creating favorable opportunities for Hungarian companies.
Participants also agreed that Canada can serve as an excellent entry point to the U.S. market, as regulatory frameworks and certifications partially overlap, meaning that experience and references gained in Canada can provide a significant competitive advantage when expanding in North America.
The event concluded with a networking session, where participants were able to continue building connections and engaging in professional discussions in an informal setting.
