Maryam Ashalem de Andres
27 August 2026•Update: 27 August 2026
Canada’s prime minister, in the spotlight for forcefully rejecting what he called an “unacceptable” trade deal with the Trump administration, will address the European Parliament next month as Ottawa seeks to deepen ties with the European Union.
Mark Carney on Sept. 16 will also attend European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s annual State of the Union address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, according to local media reports.
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said the visit would be an opportunity to “deepen EU-Canada ties and strengthen our bond.”
The visit comes as relations between Canada and the US deteriorated following the collapse of trade negotiations and Washington’s imposition of new tariffs on Canadian goods, with Ottawa quickly retaliating.
The US imposed duties of up to 50% on Canadian products worth about $20 billion on Aug. 24, prompting Ottawa to announce it would respond with counter-tariffs on a dollar-for-dollar basis.
The latest escalation follows months of tensions between Carney and US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly criticized Canada’s trade policies and referred to the country as the “51st state.”
On the trade deal the US had proposed, Carney said it was “unacceptable right from the start, but the Americans kept trying and trying and we said no,” especially referring to reported US demands for the bilingual country to end its special measures for French-speaking culture and goods.
Carney has increasingly sought to diversify Canada’s economic and diplomatic partnerships and strengthen ties with countries beyond the US.
Conversely, Canada and the EU have also moved to strengthen their strategic partnership in recent years, with cooperation spanning trade, technology, energy, security, and defense.
In June, Canada became the first non-European country whose companies were allowed to participate in the EU’s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) defense initiative, which is backed by up to €150 billion ($175 billion) in financing for joint defense procurement.
A European Commission spokesperson told CBC News that Carney’s visit is a “strong sign of the close relationship between Canada and the EU” and is intended to “clearly signal the intention and ambition on both sides to upgrade our partnership.”
“In these challenging times, strengthening our relationships across the world is vital,” the spokesperson added.
Carney also became the first leader of a non-European country to participate in a European Political Community summit when he attended the gathering this May in Yerevan, Armenia.
Canada and the EU are also expected to hold another summit in late October focused on strengthening their economic and commercial partnership.
