OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney will travel to Strasbourg next month for the European Union’s annual state of the union address as his government seeks deeper economic and security ties with Europe amid an escalating trade war with the United States.Carney will attend European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s address on Sept. 16 and is expected to speak before the European Parliament the following day, Politico reported Wednesday, citing officials familiar with the plans.Von der Leyen delivers the annual address to members of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, outlining the commission’s political priorities for the coming year.A European Commission official said von der Leyen invited Carney before the summer break as a sign of the increasingly close relationship between Canada and the European Union.The invitation therefore predates the collapse of Canada-U.S. trade negotiations last week, although the visit will now take place as Ottawa attempts to reduce its economic dependence on Washington.Carney suspended negotiations with the United States late Friday after saying American officials introduced last-minute conditions that were “unfair, uneconomic” and called the reliability of any agreement into question..The United States subsequently imposed 50% tariffs on $27.6 billion worth of Canadian goods.Ottawa announced matching counter-tariffs Tuesday on an equivalent value of American imports, effective September 8.Carney said Monday that Canada would begin intensive discussions with the European Union this fall to establish a “much stronger and deeper economic and security partnership.”“Building at home and diversifying trade abroad is not our Plan B,” he said. “It has been our Plan A from the start.”Canada and the European Union already trade under the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, commonly known as CETA.The EU was Canada’s second-largest trading partner for goods and services in 2025, with bilateral trade valued at $178.6 billion.Canada also became the first non-European country to join the EU’s Security Action for Europe initiative in February.The defence procurement program gives Canadian companies access to contracts under the EU’s broader plan to increase military production and readiness.In June, Montreal-based Marconi Technologies secured the first contract awarded to a Canadian business through the initiative. The company will provide Canadian-made tactical radios to Poland’s Cyber Command.Carney met von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa at the G7 summit in France in June.The three leaders discussed defence, critical minerals, energy, technology and expanding Canadian access to European markets.Canada is also scheduled to host the next Canada-EU summit from October 29 to 30.Carney has repeatedly described Canada as the “most European of non-European countries” while rejecting suggestions that the country could become an EU member.His government has instead pursued closer trade, defence and regulatory cooperation with the bloc while expanding relationships with individual European countries.
