Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has voiced support for deepening ties between Canada and Europe, backing the vision proposed by Brussels to make Canada a partner member of the European Union. As tensions with U.S. President Donald Trump escalate, Carney cautioned that tariffs and supply chains are increasingly being deployed as instruments of economic warfare.

Canada and the EU intend to strengthen collaboration across trade, defense, artificial intelligence, climate policy, and Arctic security. Speaking on September 17, 2026, before the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, Carney welcomed the proposal from the European Commission President to establish Canada as the bloc's inaugural partner member. On Thursday, the Canadian leader expressed enthusiasm for the concept, noting that the final version of this new partnership framework would be subject to a vote by Canadian parliamentarians.

"Canada and Europe are each strong on their own, but together they are stronger," Carney told European lawmakers in Strasbourg. While his address did not mention Trump by name, the premier made pointed references to Washington's reliance on tariffs, stating: "Economic integration is now being weaponized, and tariffs are being used as a means of exerting pressure." Continuing in French, Carney added, "Financial tools are being used for coercion, and supply chains have become vulnerable points to be exploited."

These remarks came after Trump dismissed Canada's aspiration to become the EU's first partner member as "absurd" and threatened to impose tariffs on Canada should he deem the move an "act of hostility." Speaking to reporters in North Carolina, the former president called Canada a "terrible trading partner" and warned that Washington could even "cease trade with Europe in many areas" if the EU advanced the initiative. "If their intentions are good, then that's fine. If not, we will hit Europe with heavy tariffs," Trump cautioned.

The Trump administration has recently raised import duties on Canadian goods, prompting Ottawa to respond with countervailing measures. Carney has committed to implementing reciprocal tariffs on American products at equivalent levels. Earlier in the week, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen signaled the EU's ambition to elevate bilateral relations with Canada to "the highest possible level." Von der Leyen made the announcement during her State of the Union address, with Carney in attendance, and addressed him directly: "I want to work with you to open the door for Canada to become the EU's first partner member." Notably, no formal legal category for "partner membership" currently exists within EU treaties; establishing such a mechanism would require fresh creation and ratification by all member states.

Speaking at a press conference following his address, Carney framed the partnership as a constructive evolution: "This alliance is a positive and forward-looking process — that is my response to the American president. A stronger, more resilient, and more sovereign Canada will also be a more effective partner for the United States." He underscored a national consensus, adding, "All Canadians agree: no one can dictate which language we speak, no one can shape our culture, and no one can decide with whom we sign international agreements."

Emphasizing that Canada seeks no dominance over others, Carney stated, "I need to be clear: I am not trying to create a third major power bloc, merely adopting a more dignified posture to compete with other great powers. We do not seek to dominate others. Quite the contrary — we pursue resilience, ensuring no one can manipulate our open markets, compromise our sovereignty, threaten our territorial integrity, or undermine our freedom, democracy, and rule of law."

The EU has historically been reluctant to consider flexible membership models, having responded cautiously earlier this year to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's proposal to grant Ukraine partner member status. Nevertheless, von der Leyen's support for Canada represents a significant deepening of Ottawa-Brussels relations amid Canada's ongoing trade dispute with the United States. Asked whether Canadian lawmakers would debate and vote on the future relationship, Carney affirmed, "There will certainly be multiple rounds of debate — not just one — and the Canadian Parliament will hold a vote. That is beyond doubt, though we are only at the beginning of this journey."

Carney also stressed that closer Canada-EU ties would bolster collective resilience among allies and set an example for other democracies. The two sides have already established the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which eliminated customs duties on 99% of tariff lines when it took provisional effect in 2017. "We will move from CETA to a future-oriented alliance, building a space of shared prosperity and economic security," von der Leyen said, adding that the EU and Canada share a "strongly aligned worldview" and pledging coordinated action on artificial intelligence, climate change, geopolitics, and Arctic security.

Before traveling to Strasbourg for his European Parliament address, Carney met with UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham in Liverpool on Wednesday, where the two leaders attended an Everton football match together. A statement from Downing Street confirmed that both leaders emphasized the importance of establishing similarly close ties with European partners, particularly in trade and defense. Carney and Burnham also discussed deepening defense cooperation, examining complementary roles between multilateral defense mechanisms and a Canada-led defense security resilience bank.