US$3.5b Global Bond To Strengthen Our Foreign Reserves

OTTAWA: The Government of Canada has issued a three-year US$3.5 billion global bond to strengthen its reserves position.

Issuing a global bond provides funds to supplement and diversify funding sources for Canada’s liquid foreign reserves. Liquid foreign reserves are a source of prudential liquidity and promote orderly conditions for the Canadian dollar in foreign exchange markets.

The investor base for the threeyear bond issue includes a wide range of central banks, international institutions, bank treasuries, and foreign-based investment funds.

The issuance of a global bond is in line with the government’s commitment, reiterated in Budget 2022, to maintain liquid foreign reserves at or above three per cent of nominal gross domestic product.

With investors seeking investment opportunities backed by Canada’s triple-A credit ratings— as evidenced by the final order book of US$7 billion—Canada’s successful US$3.5 billion global bond will help meet that global demand, while bolstering Canada’s foreign currency reserves.

• On April 20, 2022, the government issued a US$3.5 billion global bond at 9 basis points over the three-year US Treasury maturing on April 15, 2025.

• The issuance received solid demand from investors in North America, Europe, and Asia, with a total order book of US$7 billion. The high quality of the order book is illustrated by the largest central banks and official institutions’ participation in recent years.

• Thanks to strong demand, this global bond issuance priced more tightly than any of the threeyear US-dollar bonds issued by Canada’s peers since February 2022.

• The bond transaction will provide cost-effective and diversified funding for the liquid foreign reserves held in the Exchange Fund Account.

• The Government of Canada last issued a US-dollar bond in May 2021 worth US$3.5 billion, and a green bond worth CA$5 billion in March 2022.