TORONTO – In a clear demonstration of Canada’s strategic shift away from heavy economic reliance on the United States amid an escalating bilateral trade conflict, Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to address the European Parliament next month, his office confirmed in an official announcement Wednesday. The high-stakes diplomatic visit will also see Carney attend the European Union’s annual State of the Union address, delivered by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who is scheduled to give her address on September 16. Carney’s speech to European lawmakers will follow one day after von der Leyen’s remarks.
This landmark trip comes on the heels of collapsed trade negotiations between Washington and Ottawa, a breakdown that pushed US President Donald Trump to enact steep 50% tariffs on roughly $20 billion worth of Canadian exports. In direct response to the unilateral American trade action, the Canadian government quickly moved forward with retaliatory tariffs of its own, deepening the rift between the two neighboring North American allies.
For the Carney administration, Europe has emerged as the cornerstone of a long-term strategy to diversify Canada’s trade and foreign policy partnerships, cutting the country’s overreliance on its southern neighbor. Since taking office in March 2025, Carney has prioritized European engagement, making no fewer than 11 trips to the continent to advance bilateral cooperation. He has repeatedly laid out his vision for global cooperation among middle powers, arguing that these nations should collaborate directly rather than jockey for influence with larger global powers.
Beyond trade, Canada has steadily deepened political and security ties with the European bloc over recent months. The country secured a landmark security and defense partnership with the EU, and earlier this year became the first non-European nation to join the bloc’s Security Action for Europe initiative, a signal of growing alignment on regional and global security priorities.
Carney has set an ambitious economic target to back this strategic shift: doubling the volume of Canada’s exports to markets outside the United States over the next ten years. The prime minister brings personal and professional context to this European outreach, having previously served as governor of both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, giving him longstanding, deep-rooted professional and personal connections across European institutions.