Canada Seeks 'Unique Alliance' with EU

President Donald Trump's continued verbal and tariff attacks on Canada – as well as threats to the nation's sovereignty – have led Prime Minister Mark Carney to say Canada is seeking a "unique alliance: with the European Union. “We share the same values, we have the same priorities, and we have very complementary strengths.”

The U.S. accounted for 72.5% of Canada's merchandise exports in 2025. Carney wants to build an international network so Canada isn't so reliant on the U.S.

But Canada isn't seeking to join the EU. But The Wall Street Journal says he is seeking to have Canada become an "associate member" of the EU. It already has the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), a major free-trade deal between the E.U. and Canada, signed in 2016, and Horizon Europe, an initiative on collaborative research launched by the European Union in 2021 and joined by Canada in 2024.