Canada: A Chamber of Commerce aims to mobilize 4,000 Mauritanians to diversify trade beyond gold
The Mauritania-Canada Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CMCCI) was officially launched in September 2026 in Montreal with the ambition of making the Mauritanian diaspora an economic lever between the two countries, according to Financial Afrik. It is led by Fatimata A. Lam, and the Mauritanian Ambassador to Canada serves as its honorary president.
A diaspora of 4,000 people
Approximately 4,000 Mauritanians live in Canada, according to the Mauritanian Embassy in Ottawa as cited by Financial Afrik. Entrepreneurs, executives, professionals, and young graduates: the chamber wants to rely on these profiles, who are familiar with both markets, to build bridges between businesses.
Highly unbalanced trade
Trade in goods between Canada and Mauritania reached 1.04 billion Canadian dollars in 2024. However, Canadian imports from Mauritania consist of 99.9% raw or semi-processed gold, while Canadian exports to Mauritania do not exceed 38.6 million Canadian dollars, according to Financial Afrik.
This dependence on a single raw material illustrates a well-known pattern on the continent: the export of raw resources without local processing or diversification. The CMCCI intends to target four sectors: fishing and the maritime economy, energy, information technology, and mining value chains.
Measurable results
Fatimata A. Lam wants to judge the chamber by its concrete results: the number of businesses connected, the value of opportunities facilitated, and partnerships concluded. A chamber of commerce must prove its value through "what it facilitates," she summarized, according to Financial Afrik.
First steps announced: an economic mapping of the Mauritanian diaspora in Canada and participation in the diaspora forum scheduled for October in Nouakchott. The approach is supported by a growing Mauritanian economy, driven in particular by natural gas: 4.2% in 2025 and 4.4% projected in 2026 according to the World Bank, as reported by Financial Afrik.
This article was written in French with the help of artificial intelligence from the sources cited below, then translated from French automatically. Read the original.
