Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has called for a deeper partnership with the European Union, arguing that closer cooperation would strengthen strategic autonomy amid trade tensions with the United States. Addressing the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Carney proposed cooperation on trade, defense, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, energy, space, research and financial services. He welcomed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s proposal for Canada to become the EU’s first “associate member,” a status that does not currently exist in the bloc’s treaties and would have to be created. The initiative comes after US President Donald Trump threatened to impose serious tariffs on Europe—or halt trade in some areas—if he viewed the proposal as a hostile act. Carney did not mention Trump by name in his address. Canada and the EU already cooperate through the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or CETA, as well as security arrangements, while US tariff pressure has pushed Ottawa to diversify its trade relationships. The two sides are due to discuss the proposal further at an EU-Canada summit in Montreal on October 29–30.
