Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney pushed back on Thursday against President Donald Trump’s tariff threat over a proposed Canada-European Union alliance, saying Ottawa will choose its own international partners.
Carney Rejects Pressure Over Canada-EU Ties
“This alliance is a positive process; that’s my response to the American president,” Carney told reporters after addressing the European Parliament. “A stronger, more resilient, more sovereign Canada will be a more effective partner with the United States.” He added that “nobody is going to tell us” with whom Canada can strike agreements internationally.
Trump had called the prospect of Canada becoming the EU’s first “associate member” “laughable” and warned that if he viewed the move as hostile, Washington could impose “very serious tariffs” on Europe or stop trading with it in some areas. He later threatened “very heavy tariffs” if Europe acted with “bad intention.” Washington’s 50% tariffs on $27.6 billion of Canadian goods remain in force, with Ottawa matching them dollar for dollar.
EU Floats Associate Membership for Canada
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday that she wanted to open the door to Canada becoming the EU’s first associate member and take relations “to the highest level possible.” Reuters reported that the status does not currently exist under EU treaties and remains undefined.
Carney welcomed the proposal after earlier saying Canada was not seeking full EU membership but a “unique alliance”. “Canada and Europe are each strong. Europe and Canada are stronger together,” he told lawmakers. He also warned that “economic integration is now being weaponized,” with tariffs used to exert pressure and supply chains turned into vulnerabilities.
The relationship already extends into defense. Canada became the first non-European country to join the EU’s SAFE procurement framework in June, while von der Leyen said CETA has helped lift bilateral goods trade by 75% in less than a decade.
Carney Frames Alliance Around Sovereignty, Resilience
Carney said Canadian lawmakers would ultimately debate and vote on any final arrangement. “There will be a vote in the Canadian Parliament. Absolutely,” he said.
He also rejected building a rival great-power bloc. “We do not seek power to dominate others,” Carney said, arguing for resilience so “no one can control our open markets, impair our sovereignty, threaten our territorial integrity, or undermine our freedoms.”
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