File photo: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, left, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney, center, and European Council President Antonio Costa
Relations between Ottawa and Washington have deteriorated since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House in early 2025, with disagreements over trade and other issues leading to tariffs on tens of billions of dollars in cross-border trade.
Canada is exploring whether it could become an “associate member” of the European Union as Prime Minister Mark Carney seeks closer economic and strategic ties with the bloc, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. Canada and the EU are discussing ways to allow goods, services and workers involved in strategic supply chains to move more freely between them, according to the Wall Street Journal report. The two sides are also discussing cooperation on underwater cables, data centres, cloud storage and new satellite networks and infrastructure to facilitate the shipment of Canadian energy to Europe, the report said. Carney has also held regular discussions with several EU leaders, particularly French President Emmanuel Macron, about the possibility of allowing Canadians to live and work in the EU without visas, according to two officials cited by the Wall Street Journal.