WSJ: Canada considers becoming an associate member of EU

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is considering the possibility of obtaining associate membership in the European Union. Such a format would allow Ottawa to expand economic and political cooperation with the EU without fully joining the bloc.

According to The Wall Street Journal, cited by Report, Carney has been discussing options for closer integration between Canada and the EU with European leaders for several months. The prime minister has instructed his special envoy to examine the most ambitious forms of cooperation that would not involve the country's accession to the EU or its single market.

Carney is seeking to reduce the Canadian economy's dependence on the US amid escalating trade tensions between Ottawa and Washington. According to WSJ sources, the prime minister intends to redirect Canada's economy and public life, which have been closely tied to the US market for decades.

The idea has received preliminary support in the EU, despite the bloc's traditionally cautious approach to membership issues.

Relations between Canada and the US deteriorated after Washington imposed 50% tariffs on a range of Canadian goods. Ottawa announced retaliatory measures and said a trade war had begun. The US later also announced plans to impose 50% tariffs on Canadian cars, auto parts and steel starting January 1, 2027.