Prime Minister Carney to travel to Europe and Asia to diversify Canada's international partnerships, increase our trade, and attract new investment

OTTAWA, ON, Nov. 4, 2026 /CNW/ -- In a rapidly changing world, Canada's government is focused on what we can control. We are building our strength at home and diversifying our partnerships abroad to open new markets, attract new investment, and create greater prosperity for Canadians.

To that end, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, will travel to Ireland, the Philippines, Cambodia, and China, from November 11 to 19, 2026. He will represent Canada at four major international summits to advance Canada's interests in trade, investment, culture, and security.

In Dublin, Ireland, Prime Minister Carney will attend the Summit of the European Political Community. Canada and the European Union (EU) recently launched the Alliance for the Future and, in parallel, are working toward Canada becoming the EU's first Associate Member. Together, we are creating more choice and lowering costs for families, opening new export markets for businesses, and expanding opportunities for young people to live, work, and study on both sides of the Atlantic.

The Prime Minister will then travel to Manila, Philippines, to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit as Guest of the Chair. He will work to finalise the ASEAN-Canada free trade agreement, unlocking exports of more than $3.5 billion to one of the world's fastest-growing economic regions. During his visit, the Prime Minister will also aim to conclude negotiations on a new Canada-Philippines free trade agreement that is expected to triple bilateral trade between our two countries by 2035.

In Phnom Penh, Cambodia, the Prime Minister will attend the Sommet de la Francophonie to deepen ties across the French-speaking world ahead of Canada hosting the Sommet in 2028.

Finally, the Prime Minister will travel to Shenzhen, China, for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting. Over the past year, Canada has transformed our relationship with China, launching a Strategic Partnership that is unlocking more than $7 billion in export markets for Canadian workers and businesses. This visit will build on that progress, deepen trade tries, and create more opportunities for Canadians.

Quote

"Canada has what the world wants: the energy, the resources, the talent, the technology, and the capital. We are building our strength at home and diversifying our partnerships abroad. Canada is boldly unleashing our enormous potential, and we are just getting started."

-- The Rt. Hon. Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada

Quick facts

• This trip will mark Prime Minister Carney's first visits to Cambodia and the Philippines since taking office, as well as his first participation in a Sommet de la Francophonie, which is held every two years.
• In May 2026, in Armenia, Prime Minister Carney became the first non-European leader to participate in a Summit of the European Political Community.
• The EU is Canada's second-largest global trading partner for goods and services, with a total value of approximately $178 billion in 2025.
• Last month, at the Canada-EU Summit in Montréal, the Prime Minister and EU leaders set out a new Alliance for the Future and announced that they will work toward the deepest possible partnership – short of accession – with Canada becoming the EU's first Associate Member. They also announced the conclusion of negotiations on two economic agreements, alongside initiatives on investment, critical minerals, energy, defence, and advanced technologies.
• Southeast Asia is one of the world's fastest-growing economic regions. In 2025, ASEAN member states represented the fifth-largest economy and the third-largest population in the world. That same year, two-way merchandise trade between Canada and ASEAN totalled $52.5 billion, up 23.7% from 2024.
• La Francophonie brings together 90 member states and governments – 53 members, five associate members, and 32 observers – committed to promoting the French language and common values.
• Canada is a founding member of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) and its second-largest institutional donor. We contribute more than $43 million annually to Francophonie institutions, including around $25 million to the OIF.
• New Brunswick and Québec are full members of the OIF. Nova Scotia and Ontario are observers.
• In December 2025, Canada announced its bid to host the 2028 Sommet de la Francophonie in the National Capital Region. This will mark the first time Canada hosts the Summit in 20 years, following the 2008 Summit in Québec City.
• In 2025, APEC's 21 member economies accounted for more than 60% of global GDP and 80.6% of Canada's merchandise trade. Canada has free trade agreements with 12 APEC economies.
• China is Canada's second-largest single-country merchandise trading partner. Two-way merchandise trade totalled $125.7 billion in 2025. Strong people-to-people ties also link our two countries, with over 1.7 million Canadian residents of Chinese origin.

Associated links

• Canada and the European Union
• Canada and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
• Canada-Philippines relations
• Canada and La Francophonie
• Canada-Cambodia relations
• Canada and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
• Canada-China relations

This document is also available at https://pm.gc.ca

SOURCE Prime Minister's Office

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