Carney heads to Europe for high-stakes speech and deeper EU ties as Canada clashes with Trump

Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney arrives at the Toronto International Film Festival Tribute Awards gala in Toronto, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)

TORONTO (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is heading to Europe in the middle of a trade war with U.S. President Donald Trump, seeking a deeper relationship with the European Union that could give Canadians greater freedom to work and study there.

Canada will seek an arrangement that would allow Canadians to live and work in Europe without visas as part of a strategic partnership, according to a senior Canadian official familiar with the discussions.

The official said Ottawa is not seeking to replicate the arrangements Norway or Switzerland have with the EU and did not propose “associate membership,” a term used in a recent report. Canada instead wants a partnership tailored to its priorities, with investment at its core.

Roughly 70% of Canadian exports go to the United States. Europe is central to Carney’s effort to reduce that dependence.