World
Carney moves to deepen Canada-EU ties amid rift with the United States
The Canadian prime minister traveled to Europe seeking broader economic and strategic cooperation with the EU. Courthouse News reported that Ottawa is trying to lessen its reliance on Washington as the trade conflict with the U.S. escalates.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney traveled to Europe this week aiming to strengthen ties with the European Union on economic and strategic fronts, as Canada remains locked in a trade war with the United States and a bitter confrontation with U.S. President Donald Trump.
According to Courthouse News, Carney was scheduled to attend European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s State of the Union speech on Wednesday and then outline his vision for Canada-EU relations in an address to the European Parliament the following day.
Before the trip, Carney said he wanted to launch talks on what he described as a unique alliance with the EU, while making clear that Canada is not seeking membership in the bloc. Media reports cited by Courthouse News said he is interested in an arrangement that would make it easier for Canadians to live and work in the EU while also encouraging trade and investment.
Over the weekend, press reports citing unnamed Canadian and EU sources said officials were exploring some form of associate status for Canada. Courthouse News noted that no such category exists under EU law, but recalled that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz sent a letter in May to top EU officials proposing associate arrangements for Ukraine and other prospective members such as Moldova and small Balkan states.
That concept would allow participation in EU institutions without voting rights. The outlet added that proposals along those lines face resistance inside the bloc and would require support from all member states.
Carney’s itinerary also included a stop in Liverpool to meet British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, followed by talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, the French archipelago near the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Carney’s office said the two leaders were expected to discuss cooperation on artificial intelligence, energy, defense and critical minerals. It would also be the first visit to the territory by a Canadian prime minister.
Courthouse News framed the trip as an effort to put into practice the strategy Carney outlined in January at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he argued that middle powers should work together to increase their leverage amid rivalry between major powers. In that speech, he criticized the performance of the U.S.-led international order and warned that economic integration, tariffs, financial infrastructure and supply chains were being used as tools of coercion.
The trade dispute between Canada and the United States has already led both sides to impose reciprocal tariffs on goods worth billions of dollars. Before the conflict, about 70% of Canadian exports went to the U.S. market. Carney wants stronger ties with Europe and China to reduce that dependence.
Courthouse News reported that bilateral trade between Canada and the EU stood at about $147 billion in 2025, making Europe Ottawa’s second-largest trading partner. The two sides have a partially applied free-trade agreement and signed a defense partnership in June 2025. Canada also became this year the first non-European country to join the EU’s $173 billion SAFE defense program, allowing Canadian companies to take part in joint procurement. A Canada-EU summit is also planned for late October in Montreal.
Sources
About this piece. Written by El Notero with AI assistance, from reporting published by the outlet cited above. El Notero did no original reporting on this story.
