UK should 'team up' with Canada in new Europe alliance, Canadian minister tells BBC

In practice, the UK should "team up" with a proposed economic alliance between Canada and Europe, Canadian Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne has remarked.

Key points

• After his return to the White House last year, US President Donald Trump imposed sweeping global tariffs, including on long-standing trade allies such as the UK.
• Burnham will meet Trump for the first time this week, in New York at the UN General Assembly.
• His comments come after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed "opening the door" to an associate EU membership for Canada, an unprecedented move for the bloc.
• Carney, the former governor of the Bank of England, has previously talked regarding an alliance of "middle powers" working together on economic expansion, resilience and security.
• The minister remarked Canada did not seek escalation after its measured, targeted and strategic.

"This is all about the substance, to build an alliance of the future, " he informed the BBC. "The world has changed. America has changed. So we need to change."

Champagne additionally provided a frank assessment of the Canada-US trade war after a accord collapsed last month, saying the country had "stood up for our industries, our workers, our country" by imposing tariffs.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's visit to address the EU in Strasbourg, shortly after von der Leyen's proposal was created, was "to build the alliance of the future", Champagne stated.

Champagne informed the BBC that the UK and Canada had shared values.

"We need to look at partnership in a different way and the great thing is that when you look at Canada – and I would say the United Kingdom – we share the same values. We are particularly aligned in our vision of the world. Why don't we team up?" he remarked. "We are independent and sovereign, but we are stronger together."

As well as its position with the US, after some changes of presidential rhetoric over the Falklands and Irish unity in recent weeks, while the UK renegotiated a trade accord with the US in June last year, the new Canada-EU alliance does raise questions for the UK's post-Brexit positioning with Europe.

While Champagne attended a session of EU finance ministers in Dublin on Friday, alongside Chancellor John Healey, carney met Prime Minister Andy Burnham in Liverpool in the middle of his trip to Brussels and Strasbourg last week.

In practice, the developing discussions around closer ties between the EU and Canada come as Ottawa remains locked in an escalating trade war with the US, with both sides imposing tit-for-tat tariffs after discussions broke down at the last moment in August.

Trump has additionally threatened further tariffs on the EU if the associate membership plan proved "hostile" to the US, calling the idea laughable and labelling Canada a "terrible trading partner".

Champagne remarked the trade war was not a conflict chosen by Canada.

"We responded since at some stage you have to say 'enough is enough'. No one can infringe on our economic sovereignty. The world took notice, " he remarked.

Notably, the minister remarked Canada did not seek escalation after its "measured, targeted and strategic. Dollar-for-dollar, tariff-for-tariff" response and the country would "re-engage at the right time" with its southern neighbour.

Affected industries would be backed "as long as it takes and whatever it takes", he went on.

Champagne argued that Canada's solid fiscal position assisted underpin its resilience, and that the dispute with the US provided a "golden opportunity" to diversify.

This is the backdrop to the promise of an "alliance of the future" between Canada and the EU, and the idea of "teaming up" with the UK too. Carney's new love-in with EU has everything to do with Trump. What could EU associate member status mean for Canada?

After his election, Carney invited King Charles to open the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa, a move widely seen as a rebuff to Trump's repeated suggestion that Commonwealth Canada could become part of the US, last year.

In practice, the detail of the offer created by the EU to negotiate "associate membership" for Canada is yet to be formalised.

Champagne remarked this was "a moment of great opportunities" and to strengthen the existing relationship between Canada and the EU.

As well as for young Canadians and Europeans to "cross the ocean and be able to study and live", carney last week pointed to Canadian membership of EU university, scientific research, AI and defence funding schemes.

He remarked Canada could supply critical minerals and gas and would seek access to European advanced technologies.

It is understood that both Canada and the EU see the opportunity for a process for like-minded nations which might not ever be full members, for example Australia.

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In short, UK should ' team up' with Canada in new Europe alliance, Canadian minister is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.