The legislation also provides the Corporation with a range of powers, including the ability to export goods from Canada either as principal or as agent in such a manner and to such an extent as it deems appropriate.
[7] CCC also works with Canadian exporters to pursue international opportunities where G2G contracting is considered by both Canada and the buying government as a mechanism to advance mutual economic interests and bilateral relationships.
CCC’s guarantee of contract performance is designed to add incentive for foreign governments to access Canadian expertise for priority projects.
As Canada transitioned into peacetime, the creation of Crown corporations was one tactic used to stabilize production of essential commodities while the labour force adjusted to the post-war environment.
[9][11] The Defense Supplies Act in 1950 gave the Department of Trade and Commerce the authority to carry out defence procurement activities but was replaced in 1951 in response to the escalation of the Korean War and continuing friction with the Soviet Union.
[14] In 1979, the CCC-NASA LOA laid the groundwork for the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System (SRMS) (now commonly known as the Canadarm) to be contracted through CCC by Spar Aerospace Limited of Toronto.
[14] For 30 years, NASA's Space Shuttle program used the remote-controlled mechanical arm to deploy, capture and repair satellites, position astronauts, maintain equipment, and move cargo.
In 1982, CCC won contracts with the World Health Organization to spray rivers in Africa to help control disease, with UNICEF for a measles vaccine plant in Pakistan, and with the Foundation Company of Canada to build a hospital in the Ivory Coast.
[16] In March 2021, the Kpone Unity Terminal was handed over to the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority upon completion of a five-year project funded through a USD 126 million loan procured from the Canadian Commercial Corporation.
[19]CCC delivers its government-to-government contracting services through two core lines of business: (1) International Prime Contractor; and (2) U.S. DoD Prime Contractor which includes the administration of the Defence Production Sharing Agreement (DPSA) In addition to its core business line operations, CCC performs activities related to sourcing and other Government of Canada priorities which include the maintenance and administration of the trade development offices in China on behalf of Global Affairs Canada, sourcing transactions with Government of Canada departments and agencies and a shared services arrangement with another crown corporation which generate economies of scale in providing delivery of in-kind foreign aid.
CCC is the Government of Canada’s executing agency for the DPSA and is embedded in the U.S. DoD’s Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS)[5] to act as the prime contractor for all contracts over US$250,000 awarded to Canadian companies.
Additional services under the U.S. DoD prime contractor program include interpretation of bid documents, price review and certification, advocacy and dispute resolution, and protection from payment risk.
For example, in October 2022, CCC sourced 400,000 pieces of winter clothing from Canadian companies totaling $15 million CAD, as part of a military aid package for Ukraine.