GATINEAU, Quebec — Canada has signed an agreement with Germany that sets the rules for how the two countries share secret government information, the Canadian government announced on Friday, 25 September 2026. The pact is called a General Security of Information Agreement. It was signed during a visit to Canada by Germany's foreign minister, according to a release from Public Services and Procurement Canada, the federal department that handles government purchasing. The department is based in Gatineau, across the river from Ottawa.

The agreement was announced by two Canadian ministers. Joël Lightbound is minister of government transformation, public works and procurement. Anita Anand is foreign affairs minister.

What the agreement does

Governments label their most sensitive information "classified," which means only people with a security clearance may see it, and it must be stored and handled under strict rules. To share classified material with another country, a government needs to know the other side will protect it to the same standard. An agreement like this one sets out those shared standards.

According to the release, the pact creates a trusted system for Canada and Germany to exchange sensitive information securely. That includes intelligence, sensitive information about military and security operations, and technical data about defence and security work. The two countries have been allies in NATO, the North Atlantic military alliance of the United States, Canada and European countries, since West Germany joined it in 1955. The government said the agreement strengthens that partnership and supports defence cooperation.

What it means for Canadian companies

Private companies that work on classified projects also have to show they can protect secret information. The government said the agreement would give Canadian companies more chances to bid on German contracts involving classified information. It named work connected to the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project, Canada's program to acquire new submarines.

The release does not announce any submarine contract, any funding or any specific classified program. It describes the agreement as a framework for securely sharing sensitive information.

Why Germany matters to Canada

Trade in goods between the two countries reached 34.3 billion Canadian dollars in 2025, the release says. That makes Germany Canada's sixth-largest trading partner for goods in the world and its largest within the European Union. The release says Germany has increased its defence spending in recent years and taken on more responsibility for Europe's security, which creates new chances for the two countries to work together. The government said the agreement should help Canadian businesses in defence, security, aerospace, marine industries, energy and space.

The two countries are also both part of a Canada–EU free-trade agreement known as CETA, which has been partly in effect since 2017 and is still waiting for every EU country to approve it fully, the release notes.

What the ministers said

Lightbound said the agreement will make Canada safer by better protecting sensitive information, deepening cooperation with a close NATO ally and making it easier to coordinate on shared security priorities. Anand said the relationship with Germany rests on a shared commitment to international security, democratic values and the rules-based international order, meaning the shared international laws and agreements that countries follow. Stephen Fuhr, Canada's secretary of state for defence procurement, said that at a time of heightened global uncertainty, trusted cooperation between allies matters more than ever. He said the agreement will help the two militaries share and protect information and work together more smoothly.

What happens next

Agreements like this are negotiated by Public Services and Procurement Canada's industrial security branch, working with Canada's foreign ministry, Global Affairs Canada, and its defence department, National Defence, the release says. The release does not say what comes next or when. Companies would still need to win any German contracts, including work tied to the submarine project.

Floor: Public Services and Procurement Canada release via Canada NewsWire, 25 Sep 2026: Canada announced it has signed a General Security of Information Agreement with Germany; announced by Joël Lightbound (Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement) and Anita Anand (Foreign Affairs); signed during the German foreign minister’s visit. Framework for secure exchange of sensitive information, including intelligence, sensitive operational information and technical data related to defence and security. Supports defence cooperation; expands Canadian industry opportunities in German contracts involving classified information, including those related to the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project. Bilateral merchandise trade C$34.3 billion in 2025; Germany is Canada’s sixth-largest merchandise trading partner globally and largest in the EU. Stephen Fuhr (Secretary of State for Defence Procurement) also quoted. The agreement is a framework, not a submarine contract award or funding commitment. Source: Canada NewsWire, 25 Sep.