Carney Embraces EU Associate Membership as Trump Threatens Tariffs

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday embraced the prospect of Canada becoming the European Union's first associate member, stating that closer ties with Europe would prevent any country from controlling Canada's markets or undermining its sovereignty.

Carney's speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, emphasized cooperation between Europe and Canada, occurring amid increasingly soured relations with the U.S. driven by President Trump's tariffs and calls to make Canada the 51st state. Carney welcomed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's proposal, unveiled Wednesday, though he acknowledged that associate membership remains to be defined.

He outlined a proposal for deeper integration across trade, defense, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, energy, space, research, and financial services to make both sides less vulnerable to economic and geopolitical pressure, clarifying he was not pursuing full EU membership. Trump responded from North Carolina, threatening to impose very serious tariffs on Europe or halt trade if he deemed the EU-Canada talks a hostile act.

He called Canada a terrible trade partner and invoked the 1930 Tariff Act to impose 50 percent duties on over $20 billion worth of Canadian goods after trade talks broke down in August. The EU proposal for associate membership does not currently exist under EU law and would require ratification by member states. Von der Leyen's pitch includes joint work on manufacturing, defense-industrial bases, a tech alliance, energy, artificial intelligence, and cooperation in the Arctic.