‘With Better Manners’: Carney Takes Swipe at US as Trump Threatens Tariffs Over Canada-EU Alliance

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has delivered a veiled swipe at the United States, saying a proposed Canada-European Union alliance would protect its members from economic pressure rather than create another great-power rival “with better manners”.

Addressing the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Carney backed deeper ties with the bloc a day after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed making Canada its first “associate member”, CNN reported. The designation does not currently exist, and the proposal has already drawn a fresh tariff threat from US President Donald Trump.

“I’m not proposing a third bloc in order to become a great power rival, only with better manners,” Carney told EU lawmakers.

He said the objective was to build “resilience” rather than pursue “self-sufficiency”, placing sovereignty, open markets and democratic freedoms at the centre of the proposed partnership.

“We do not seek power to dominate others. On the contrary, we are pursuing resilience so no one can control our open markets, impair our sovereignty, threaten territorial integrity or undermine our freedoms, our democracies, our rule of law,” he said.

The initiative comes as Canada remains locked in a trade war with the US, its largest trading partner. The EU has also faced trade disputes with Washington, giving both sides an incentive to strengthen economic ties and reduce their vulnerability to American pressure.

Trump warned on Wednesday that Washington could impose “heavy tariffs” on the EU if he judged any new agreement with Canada to be a “hostile act”.

“If it’s a good intention, that’s fine. If it’s a bad intention, we’ll put very heavy tariffs on Europe, which is a possibility,” he told reporters.

Carney, however, framed the proposed alliance around shared democratic values and the freedom to make independent choices. Welcoming von der Leyen’s initiative, he said closer cooperation could offer a model for other democracies.

“A Canada-EU alliance would create a beacon for other democracies, an alliance not defined by what we oppose, but about what we are for: freedom, solidarity, prosperity, sustainability,” he said.

The Canadian prime minister called for a partnership strong enough to resist outside dictates, open enough for others to join and committed to reinforcing international law.

Its ambitions would extend beyond trade and defence. Carney also advocated deeper people-to-people ties, including greater opportunities for young Canadians and Europeans to work, study and live on either side of the Atlantic.

Speaking to reporters later, he clarified that Canada was neither seeking full EU membership nor in a position to become a full member. Canadian lawmakers would debate and ultimately vote on the “final structure” of any new alliance, CNN reported.

“This is an opportunity to make Canada stronger, more sovereign, more independent, more prosperous, more sustainable,” Carney said.

With inputs from ANI