Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on September 16 comes as the trade dispute between Ottawa and Washington intensifies. Carney will also attend European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s annual State of the Union address at the European Parliament on the same day.
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola described the visit as an opportunity to deepen ties and strengthen relations between Canada and the European Union.
Tensions between Canada and the US intensify
Relations between Washington and Ottawa deteriorated further after trade talks collapsed and the US imposed new tariffs on Canadian products.
On August 24, the US imposed tariffs of up to 50 percent on Canadian products worth approximately $20 billion. Canada announced that it would impose retaliatory tariffs of the same value.
The latest development came after months of trade disputes between Carney and US President Donald Trump. Trump has repeatedly criticized Canada’s trade policies and referred to the country as the “51st State.”
Ottawa seeks to diversify its economic partners
Carney said he had considered the trade agreement proposed by the US administration “unacceptable” from the outset. The Canadian prime minister also said Washington should end its special measures targeting the French-speaking community and French-language cultural products in the bilingual country.
Canada is seeking to diversify its relations with various partners, including the European Union, to reduce its economic and diplomatic dependence on the US. In recent years, Canada and the European Union have strengthened their strategic partnership in areas including trade, technology, energy, security and defense.
Canadian companies may join European defense initiative
In June, Canada became the first non-European country whose companies were allowed to participate in the European Union’s Security Action for Europe defense initiative. The initiative, which supports joint defense procurement, is set to receive up to 150 billion euros, or approximately $175 billion, in financing.
A European Commission spokesperson said Carney’s visit was a strong indication of the close relationship between Canada and the European Union. The spokesperson said the visit demonstrated the parties’ intention to develop their partnership and stressed that strengthening relationships around the world during difficult times was vital.
New summit expected at the end of October
In May, Carney attended the European Political Community summit in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, becoming the first leader of a non-European country to participate in the meeting.
A new summit focused on strengthening the economic and trade partnership between Canada and the European Union is expected to take place at the end of October.
