Building Canada Strong: Strengthening Our Pharmaceutical Future

June 10, 2025, Toronto - Canada is known for its wealth of natural resources—forests, minerals, energy. But as we shape the future of our economy, there is one resource more critical than ever: access to life-saving medicines.

In a world facing increasing global health threats, disrupted supply chains, and shifting geopolitical alliances, the ability to produce medicines domestically is not just an economic advantage—it’s a national imperative. Reliable access to essential medications restores health, cures disease, and reduces suffering for millions of Canadians every year.

Turning Tariff Threats into Opportunity

The recent tariff threatened by the United States served as a sharp reminder of our dependency on external pharmaceutical supply chains. Rather than accept vulnerability, Canada has the chance to turn this moment into an inflection point—one where we recommit to growing domestic production and reducing reliance on imports.

By investing in pharmaceutical manufacturing at home, we can not only secure long-term supply but also generate significant economic returns through job creation, infrastructure development, and regional economic growth.

Rising to the Moment: Canada’s Manufacturing Potential

Following the recent federal election, Canadians placed their trust in a vision to Build Canada Strong—a future defined by national resilience and strategic independence. Canada’s domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing industry stands ready to meet this call.

Across the country, manufacturers are prepared to expand production capacity, adopt advanced technologies that boost productivity, strengthen and diversify supply chains, and invest in training programs to cultivate a highly skilled workforce. This movement toward reshoring and onshoring is about more than capacity—it’s about long-term security, self-sufficiency, and prosperity.

Policy Levers to Drive Change

We already possess many of the tools needed to unlock growth in this sector. Well-designed government policies can play a catalytic role in attracting investment and ensuring sustainable demand for Canadian-made medicines.

Encouraging investment through predictable procurement, providing targeted incentives for technological upgrades, supporting workforce training, and streamlining regulatory processes are all practical ways to build momentum. These actions not only support the industry but also align with broader national goals of economic resilience and health system security.

A Made-in-Canada Commitment

Strengthening Canada’s pharmaceutical manufacturing sector benefits more than the industry—it supports national health outcomes, economic diversification, and regional development. It ensures that Canadians have access to medicines produced by Canadian hands, in Canadian facilities, for Canadian needs.

The Canadian Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Exporters Alliance (CPMEA) is committed to working collaboratively with the federal government and industry partners to shape a resilient pharmaceutical landscape. With the right focus and shared commitment, we can build a sustainable production economy—one that helps secure our future and delivers on the promise to Build Canada Strong.

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The Canadian Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Exporters Alliance (CPMEA) – Alliance fabricants et exportateurs pharmaceutiques du Canada (AFEPC) represents pharmaceutical companies that manufacture in Canada. We have come together in an Alliance to tell the story of drug production in Canada and to raise awareness of the unique issues facing our industry.

Click here to contact us, or email us directly at info@cpmea.ca.