# Canada shops for a new partner in Europe

> Mark Carney is floating a status the EU has never offered anyone: associate member.
- Title: Canada shops for a new partner in Europe · Newsweek | Shortify
- Summary: Mark Carney is floating a status the EU has never offered anyone: associate member. Canada is trying to cut its dependence on a US market that takes 72…
- Keywords: canada, european union, trade war, trump, carney, shops, partner, Europe, Newsweek
- Source: Newsweek — https://newsweek.com/trump-trade-war-51st-state-talk-push-canada-toward-eu-associate-membership-12436634
- Published: 2026-09-13T17:00:18+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: canada, european union, trade war, trump, carney
## Carney looks east
Canada's prime minister is exploring a partnership with the EU to cut his country's reliance on the US, as the trade war with Trump escalates.
## A status that doesn't exist
Carney has raised the idea of Canada becoming an EU "associate member." No such category exists, though European officials are reportedly weighing it.

> a status that does not currently exist
## Tariffs and 51st state talk
Washington and Ottawa are trading tariffs on tens of billions in commerce, while Trump keeps floating Canada as the 51st state. Ottawa has firmly refused.
## Breaking a 72 percent habit
The US absorbed roughly 72 percent of Canadian exports in 2025. Turning toward Europe would be the biggest shift in Canadian economic policy in generations.
## Beyond just goods
Talks cover energy, AI, defense and critical minerals, plus data centers, satellite networks, undersea cables and freer movement of workers.
## Europe moves slowly
Carney addresses the European Parliament this week, but the EU resists flexible membership deals. The existing Canada-EU trade pact still isn't fully ratified after a decade.

> stop doing memes
## Key takeaway

Canada is trying to cut its dependence on a US market that takes 72 percent of its exports, but an EU workaround would take years to build.