The U.S. has imposed tariffs on Canada while President Donald Trump has made consistent comments about Canada becoming the 51st state. As a response, Canada has sought to diversify trade with other nations. In 2024, approximately 76 per cent of Canada’s goods exports went to the United States, according to Statistics Canada. Diversifying trade is a tall order given how intertwined the two countries have been in the past, especially after the signing of the Canada–United States Free Trade Agreement in 1988.
In September, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed Canada could become an “associate member” of the European Union (EU), although the exact terms of that relationship haven’t been defined. This is a generational opportunity for Canada and should be taken advantage of. This prospect has twofold benefits: firstly, we will be able to diversify our trade beyond the U.S. and secondly, we can further exert our power on the world stage.
Canada is an energy superpower, with Prime Minister Mark Carney stating in April 2025, “Canada has a tremendous opportunity to be the world’s leading energy superpower, in both clean and conventional energy.”
The energy resources we have include oil reserves, hydroelectric power and uranium, just to name a few. We are the second-largest uranium producer, behind Kazakhstan, according to the World Nuclear Association, and Canada has the world’s third-largest proven oil reserves, according to Natural Resources Canada.
We can use the immense resources we have, helped by being the second-largest country by total area, to foster a closer relationship with the EU and to be one of its largest energy suppliers.
Many countries in Europe historically have relied on Russia for imports of natural gas, even after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Recently, the EU has pledged to wean itself off Russian fuel, which gives Canada a good opportunity to help fill the gap.
But this partnership could be mutually beneficial and wouldn’t be one-way. What Canada can get out of the EU is stronger support for its sovereignty, as well as more economic diversity and security.
Canada has recently been open to establishing trade agreements with many major powers, including nations with which it has strained relations. Two examples would be China and India.
A few years ago, many members of Parliaments in Canada were concerned about potential election interference by China. In 2018, Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, commonly known as the “two Michaels,” were detained in China. They were released in 2021, after nearly three years.
In 2023, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, was killed in B.C. The Canadian government alleged links between Indian government agents and his killing, which India denied.
While Mark Carney has worked to restore relations with China and India in the face of U.S. pressure, co-operation between Canada and the EU should be prioritized due to both sharing similar values and beliefs, namely the ideals of justice and democracy, which make them natural allies and partners.