PDAC 2023 opens up opportunities for companies in the mining sector

By Viviane Monteiro

The 2023 edition of the main event of the mining activity, the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) Convention, which took place between March 5th and 8th, in Toronto, Canada, was marked by the optimism among the participating businessmen. This is the observation made by Daniella Leite, Director of New Business at CCBC, who led a delegation of Brazilian companies interested in partnerships and business in the Canadian market.

The event is one of the most popular in the global mineral industry, with over 1,100 exhibitors and 2,500 investors. In the mission organized by CCBC, six companies and two government delegations, from Minas Gerais (MG) and Mato Grosso (MT), were present. In all, there were more than 30 participants.

“Both Brazilians and Canadians were very optimistic about the coming years and with good prospects. We were pleased to perform a very well-done job of bringing our Canadian members and partners closer to our Brazilian delegation. Brazil is a country with great mineral potential”, observes Leite. The 2023 edition was the second in-person post-pandemic event.

The Brazilian delegation had two main focuses at the global mining conference. While one group of companies was interested in presenting services and technological solutions for mining companies, another group looked for investors for mineral assets in Brazil.

“Our delegation had the opportunity to participate in several events organized by our team and by partners that provided contact with potential partners, including those from other countries, besides Canada. We also held an agenda of individual meetings, a completely customized action to actually generate business opportunities for the participants in our mission, which was considered the most interesting aspect of the entire trip by Brazilian businessmen”, explains Daniella. These meetings were scheduled by CCBC’s Commercial Intelligence Department.

Business Opportunities

Arminio Calonga, responsible for CCBC’s Business Development area, emphasizes that the PDAC 2023 allows an initial contact that can generate future business for Brazil’s mining business sector. “For the group of companies that wants to offer solutions to mining companies, we had the opportunity to introduce potential clients, who already have mining projects of various sizes and even projects in several countries in South America. These meetings are initial contacts that will still unfold in future meetings and with great potential to attend these projects”, he highlights.

For companies interested in prospecting investors, there were different moments of project presentation in B2B meetings and in larger events. “It is worth noting that our delegation had meetings with two stock exchanges that promote fundraising in Canada. The TSX and the CSE presented to the group information about what is necessary to become eligible to raise funds using their structure,” he adds.

2022 Trade Balance

Last year, Brazilian exports of ore to Canada totaled US$ 3.6 billion (FOB), maintaining the same level observed in 2021, of US$ 3.653 billion (FOB). On the other hand, ore imports from Canada to Brazil in 2022 amounted to US$145.9 million, resulting in a positive balance of US$3.46 billion for Brazil.