Tensions in relations with the United States are prompting the European Union and Canada to strengthen their bilateral ties. The goal of the new strategic partnership signed last year is not only to expand trade, but also to deepen cooperation in the defense sector. In this way, both sides are seeking greater independence from the United States.
One of the factors that has brought Canada and the European Union closer together in recent months is the administration of Donald Trump. This is particularly related to its trade policy, repeated threats to impose tariffs on goods imported by the United States, and its harsh rhetoric toward partners in Europe and NATO. The US president has repeatedly suggested that Canada should become the 51st state of the United States because of its dependence on its southern neighbor.
“Today, people around the world say that Canada is the most pro-European country outside Europe, and there is certainly some truth in that. We not only share a similar vision of the world and believe in democracy, the rule of law, and human rights, but we also assess the global situation in a similar way. Today, every democratic partner is worth its weight in gold,” Robert Biedroń, a Member of the European Parliament from the New Left and a member of the S&D group, told Newseria. “This is about strong trade and military cooperation, especially in the context of our engagement in NATO.”
According to the European Commission, since the CETA trade agreement came into force in 2017 and effectively eliminated tariffs, trade in goods between the EU and Canada has increased by more than 65%, while trade in services has risen by nearly 90%. The EU is Ottawa’s second-largest trading partner after the United States and ahead of China. Canada, in turn, is the EU’s 12th-largest trading partner. In 2024, trade in goods reached EUR 75.6 billion, while services trade amounted to nearly EUR 49 billion. In both categories, the EU records a trade surplus.
A survey conducted in March this year by Export Development Canada (EDC) among Canadian companies shows that, in response to the changing trade policy of their southern neighbor, businesses are increasingly focusing on diversifying their export destinations. The share of companies choosing to expand abroad exclusively into the US market fell from 62% in 2015 to 34% in 2025. Meanwhile, 28% of firms are planning expansion into Europe, and 19% into Asia-Pacific markets.
Beyond trade and economic issues, political considerations also play an important role in the relationship.
“We take a similar approach to such important challenges as migration, development, and cooperation in international forums. In all these areas, we can count on our Canadian friends across the Atlantic. I would not be surprised if, sooner or later, Canada were to aspire to move even closer to the European Union, and perhaps even become its first non-European member in history, because some people are already discussing such a possibility,” Robert Biedroń says.
Although Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stressed during his speech at the Davos summit that EU membership is not his goal, Canadians themselves do not entirely rule out such a possibility. In a poll published in April this year by Spark Advocacy, 25% of respondents said it would be a good idea, while 57% said it was at least worth considering. Only 17% considered it a bad idea.
In recent months, defense cooperation has moved to the forefront of mutual relations. On 23 June 2025, the European Union and Canada signed a new strategic partnership in security and defense. The document includes, among other things, provisions on cooperation in military procurement under the ReArm Europe 2030 program, as well as the SAFE instrument.
“Canada, as the only country outside the European Union apart from Ukraine, joined the SAFE program and is ready to pay its contribution in order to participate in all the programs in which the nineteen countries taking part in SAFE are also involved,” says Michał Szczerba, a Member of the European Parliament from Civic Coalition and a member of the European People’s Party. “Canada remains very strongly integrated with Europe and wants to take part in our preparations for defense readiness. It is clearly signaling that it wants to tighten its ties with the EU and with European allies, also within NATO.”
In August last year, Prime Ministers Donald Tusk and Mark Carney signed a new strategic partnership between Poland and Canada in Warsaw. Its pillars include cooperation in nuclear energy—both large-scale and in the field of small modular reactors—as well as hydrogen, renewable energy, defense industry cooperation, and joint technology projects. Both countries committed to intensifying economic exchange, including missions involving energy and trade companies. Since 2017, trade between Poland and Canada has doubled. Poland is now Canada’s largest trading partner in Central and Eastern Europe. In 2024, exports to Canada amounted to USD 2.26 billion, while imports stood at just under USD 1.1 billion.
“For us, it is important that Canada, which wants to invest heavily and quickly in its defense potential, can also make use of products offered by the Polish defense industry. This is another important area of cooperation. The second area is new technologies, especially air defense and anti-drone systems, because Ukraine is part of SAFE and we will be able to benefit from Ukrainian expertise,” says Michał Szczerba.
As he adds, cooperation with Ottawa may also extend to the supply of critical raw materials. According to Canada’s defense industry strategy adopted this year, Canadians produce 10 of the 12 critical raw materials identified by NATO as strategically important for defense, including aluminum, gallium, germanium, graphite, and tungsten. Canada produces more than 60 minerals and metals and possesses the world’s largest high-grade uranium deposits, a key resource for the country and its allies.
“We can look for rare earth minerals in Canada, but we can also benefit from the extraction licenses that Canadian companies hold in Greenland. This creates major opportunities for cooperation in various areas—not only in defense, but also in relation to the critical resources we need to build a modern economy,” says Michał Szczerba.
