Carney backs EU associate status for Canada amid Trump tariff tensions

Mark Carney backed a proposal for Canada to become the EU's first associate member in Strasbourg. The push signals Ottawa's bid to reduce dependence on the US and defend its sovereignty.Image used for representational purposes onlyCanadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday backed the idea of Canada becoming the European Union's first associate member, saying closer ties with Europe would help ensure that no country can control Canada's markets or undermine its sovereignty. Speaking to the European Parliament, Carney repeatedly stressed cooperation between Canada and Europe, even as tensions with the United States hung over his address.Carney said he welcomed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's proposal, announced on Wednesday, though he added that "associate membership" still has to be defined. He said he was not seeking full EU membership, but proposed deeper integration in trade, defence, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, energy, space, research and financial services.The push comes as Canada's relationship with the US has worsened. President Donald Trump's tariffs, demands for economic concessions and repeated talk of making Canada the 51st state have pushed Ottawa to try to reduce its dependence on its neighbour and build a much deeper economic, security and political relationship with Europe. Canada sends about 70 per cent of its exports to the US, leaving it highly exposed to Trump's tariffs. Ottawa has retaliated and rejected demands that Carney says threaten Canadian sovereignty, while Europe has taken a different route by shelving retaliation and accepting tariffs of up to 15 per cent on most EU exports to the US.Setting out his case, Carney said: "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." Von der Leyen said Europe wanted to take its relationship with Canada to "the highest level possible" and proposed creating a new status that does not currently exist in EU treaties. She said Canada and the EU should move beyond their existing free trade agreement and create an "Alliance for the Future" built around a "common prosperity and economic security space". Carney, who was seated in the front row, nodded and then stood to embrace von der Leyen as lawmakers gave the proposal a standing ovation. He also received a warm welcome in the chamber in Strasbourg, with many lawmakers approaching him for handshakes and selfies, and one parliamentarian wearing a Canadian hockey jersey. Carney will host EU leaders for a summit in Montreal on October 29 and 30, when both sides are expected to discuss the proposed relationship in greater detail.Trump later suggested the proposed arrangement could be a "hostile act" and threatened heavy tariffs on Europe if he judged its intentions to be unfriendly. Asked about those remarks, Carney said Canadians were united in rejecting outside attempts to dictate the country's choices. "Canadians are united that nobody is going to tell us what language we speak. No one is going to dictate our culture or with whom we can strike agreements internationally," he said. Carney has for months urged what he calls middle powers to resist economic coercion. At the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, he said that when countries negotiate alone with a dominant power, "we negotiate from weakness. We accept what is offered." Trump rebuked him the next day. Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada's ambassador-designate to the EU, said Ottawa wanted "to get as close as we possibly can" to Europe while increasing Canada's independence.Even before any associate membership is negotiated, Canada has already moved closer to the bloc. This year, it became the first non-European country to join the EU's 150-billion-euro SAFE defence procurement programme, giving Canadian companies access to joint procurement as Europe raises defence spending. The two sides have also discussed closer cooperation on energy, critical minerals, artificial intelligence and digital trade.Daniel Beland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal, said: "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." Nelson Wiseman, a professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, said Carney's handling of Trump had increased European interest in the Canadian leader. He said Europeans had long seen Canada as a country that understands the US particularly well because of their deep economic and political ties, and added: "Carney's shrewdness in dealing with Trump has captured Europe's attention."Carney's speech, von der Leyen's proposal and the sharp response from Trump together underlined how Canada is looking to deepen ties with Europe at a time of growing strain with the US, with both sides now set to take the discussion forward at the Montreal summit next month.With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 17, 2026 17:40 IST