Numerous Canadian sports brands have established a presence in China -- Canada's second-largest trading partner for over two decades -- with many others poised to enter the market as love for winter sports grows among Chinese consumers.
A pavilion representing Canada attracted crowds of visitors at the Beijing edition of the ISPO exhibition, one of the world's largest sports trade shows with its roots in Munich, Germany.
At the event, Rick Weissenborn, president of Canadian company Innovation Inc., introduced a niche product called the "Rolling Pin," a small device designed to sharpen ski or snowboard edges. He believes there will be plenty of interested buyers here in China.
"We have taken note that the market is expanding quite quickly," he said.
Weissenborn is visiting China for the first time as part of a delegation organized by the Canadian Embassy, which is attending ISPO Beijing for the third year. Representatives from the embassy emphasized the event's potential to build relations between Chinese buyers and Canadian sellers.
"The Embassy of Canada in China is helping Canadian small and medium businesses like this one exhibiting at ISPO today with different trade shows, like this kiosk here, in order to help them meet the right connection and seize every opportunity available for them in China," also said, Jennifer Soucy, the First Secretary and Trade Commissioner at Embassy of Canada to China.
The Embassy's efforts are part of Canada's routine trade promotion, but industry insiders from the country said tensions with the U.S. as well as the maturing of the Chinese market are both factors driving a surge of interest in China.
"In the past, the Chinese market was important because we needed material from China for Canada. But right now, the economy is ripe for the next age. Now, I think there is a good potential for the premium quality of Canadian material to be sold to China," said Olle Chen, COO of Feather Industries Canada.
"I want both countries to work together and to create a strong relationship for decades to come," added Kyler Fortney, the marketing director of LOOP Division Canada, a skiwear maker.
Adding to enthusiasm, China's higher-end consumers have proven their buying power this year, with Lululemon's business in China emerging as one of its strongest global growth engines in the third quarter of fiscal year 2025.
Its CEO Calvin McDonald reported that international performance was fueled by a 46 percent increase in revenue in the Chinese mainland. The Chinese market's contribution to the company's global revenue climbed to 18 percent, up from 13 percent a year ago.
Canadian sports brands pursue an upward slope of market potential in China
Beijing's "rocket street" project is evolving into a national-level scientific research and production hub, helping to support China's commercial space development.
The project is located in Beijing E-Town, an economic and technological development area in the southeast of the capital city, with a total floor space of 140,000 square meters, roughly the size of 20 football fields. The complex features a common technological platform, a high-end manufacturing center, and an innovation research and development hub as its core facilities.
Previously, it was the more established launch sites and their surrounding "space cities" that featured streets and roads that were totally space themed -- such as Wenchang's Road of Starlight and Jiuquan's Road to Space.
Beijing's "rocket street," which is really a complex dedicated to commercial space development, was only completed earlier this year. At the "rocket street," efforts to advance reusable rocket technology -- featuring cost-effectiveness, repeatability, flexibility, and ultimately global competitiveness -- is receiving major support, and several companies have announced their plans for 2026.
LandSpace has scheduled a recovery test for its Zhuque-3 reusable rocket in the second quarter of this year.
Galactic Energy plans to launch its first reusable liquid-fueled rocket, Pallas 1, in less than three months. It also aims to launch the more powerful, reusable Pallas 2, before the end of the year.
The "Rocket Street" itself also plans to break into new stratospheres in the coming years with reusable rockets.
"We aim to rank among the best in the world. We will promote 'airline-style' launches of large reusable rockets, fully reusable rockets, and fully reusable heavy-lift rockets. We will accelerate the development and mass production of new internet satellites, plan the building of new space infrastructure, and develop full-industrial-chain capabilities to launch 1,000 satellites," said Ma Zhao, Deputy Director of Beijing E-Town's Robotics, Intelligent Manufacturing Industry Bureau.
Galactic Energy is also working on the rocket's final stage -- an on-orbit service platform designed to perform multiple tasks, including cleaning up space by extending its "hands" and removing space debris.
The company believes now is the right moment to carry out these missions, relying on its own technical capabilities and supportive policies.
"In recent years, we have deeply felt the concerted support from policy, capital, and talent. Areas such as Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area have provided targeted support for core technology breakthroughs. Patient capital at both national and local levels has accelerated its convergence," said Wu Yue, Director of Public Relations at Galactic Energy.
China has included the commercial space sector among 109 major projects in the coming years, expecting the industry to become a key driver of new quality productive forces.
"Development opportunities for the commercial space industry are unprecedented, and there is no time to waste. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, Beijing E-Town will support the commercial space industry cluster with 1,000 enterprises working together, 1,000 satellites in orbit, and over 100 billion yuan in revenue," said Ma.
Opened to private investment in 2015, the sector now comprises over 600 commercial space companies, with annual financing reaching more than 18 billion yuan (about 2.62 billion U.S. dollars) in 2025.
China's 15th Five-Year Plan, which outlines national economic and social development goals for the next five years, sets a goal of building the country into a "space power" by 2030, as well as identifies the aerospace industry as "an emerging pillar." Against this backdrop, commercial space launches are taking on growing importance.
Beijing's "rocket street" project advances commercial space development
