Canada and EU seek closer partnership amid Trump tariff threats
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomed a proposal for associate EU membership, emphasizing deeper economic and security cooperation, while President Trump warned of additional tariffs on Europe.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed the European Parliament in Strasbourg, expressing support for a new partnership that would deepen trade, defence, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, energy, space, research and financial services between Canada and the European Union. He said the initiative aims to make both sides less vulnerable to economic and geopolitical pressure and clarified that Canada is not seeking full EU membership.
Carney welcomed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s proposal to grant Canada an associate-member status, noting that the exact terms still need to be defined. He added that Canada wants to get “as close as we possibly can” to Europe while preserving its sovereignty.
"We do not seek power to dominate others. On the contrary, we are pursuing resilience so that no one can control our open markets, impair our sovereignty, threaten our territorial integrity, or undermine our freedoms, our democracies, our rule of law," Carney said.
The proposal follows a series of U.S. tariff measures that have prompted Ottawa to reduce its reliance on the United States, which receives about 70 % of Canadian exports. In response, Carney warned that the United States is using economic dependence to pressure smaller nations.
"The policies and rhetoric of the Trump administration are clearly pushing both Canada and the EU to imagine a world without strong U.S. leadership and to act accordingly," political-science professor Daniel Béland said.
President Donald Trump, speaking in North Carolina, described the idea of an EU-Canada associate status as a “laughable” move and warned that the United States would impose “very heavy tariffs” on Europe if it proceeds.
"If it’s a good intention, that’s fine. If it’s a bad intention, we’ll put very heavy tariffs on Europe," Trump said.
Von der Leyen said Europe wants to take its relationship with Canada to “the highest level possible,” creating an “Alliance for the Future” that would go beyond the existing free-trade agreement. Carney is set to host EU leaders for a summit in Montreal on Oct. 29-30 to discuss the details of the proposed arrangement.
Canada recently became the first non-European country to join the EU’s SAFE defence procurement programme, giving Canadian firms access to joint procurement projects as Europe expands its defence spending. The two sides are also exploring cooperation on energy, critical minerals, AI and digital trade.