Carney: Canada is not in a position to sign a U.S. trade deal yet — and the EU drops its associate-member label
News · The Canadian Chronicle
Published Thursday, October 29, 2026 · Last updated Thursday, October 29, 2026
Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday, October 28, that Canada is not in a position to finalize a trade agreement with the United States. Speaking to reporters ahead of a Liberal caucus meeting, Carney said Ottawa is looking for "the right deal for Canadians." There are "deals that are in the best interests of Canada, first and foremost, but also are in the interests of the United States," he said. "If those deals present themselves, we will pursue them. But we're not at that position right now."
His remarks follow recent claims by President Donald Trump of rapid progress toward an agreement, which drew close scrutiny in Ottawa, and they land days before the U.S. midterm elections on Tuesday, November 3 — a deadline Ottawa says will not rush it into signing terms that are not right for Canadians.
The same day, Reuters reported that Canada and the European Union have dropped the idea of Canada as an "associate member" of the EU from the joint declaration prepared for their summit in Montreal on Thursday and Friday, October 29–30, hosted by Carney. The declaration, which officials plan to make public on Friday, commits both sides to "ever closer association" instead and says work to define the Canada–EU relationship will continue until another summit next year.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen suggested associate membership six weeks ago. The idea proved divisive among EU countries: Germany led a group arguing they could not sign up to a concept that has no legal status and had not been fleshed out, according to diplomats cited by Reuters. There is no precedent or legal definition for an EU associate member. Deeper ties with Europe are a central part of Carney's strategy to reduce Canada's economic and security reliance on the United States since President Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian goods.
Carney told reporters on Tuesday that the summit is the launch of further formal negotiations that will take another year. "The good news is it doesn't matter about specific names or nomenclature," he said. "What matters is the difference it will make to the lives of Canadians."
Carney also announced Wednesday that he will travel to St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda, from November 2 to 4, 2026, to participate in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, where he will meet Commonwealth leaders on trade, investment and security.
The Chronicle's test on both files is the final text, not the talk: any agreement gets read here against what it does to Canadian jobs, Canadian prices, and Canadian control of Canadian resources. (Sources: Xinhua and Reuters reporting of the Prime Minister's remarks, October 28, 2026; Reuters, Canada–EU summit declaration reporting, October 28, 2026; Prime Minister's Office news release, October 28, 2026.)