Key facts
- Canada's Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu has been invited to an informal meeting of EU trade ministers in Dublin in late October.
- U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has also received an invitation to the meeting.
- The EU is seeking to strengthen its trade relationship with Canada.
- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to attend a European Commission event and address the European Parliament in September.
- The meeting aims to discuss trade relations with major global partners.
Canada's Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu has been invited to an informal meeting of EU trade ministers in Dublin at the end of October, with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer also receiving an invitation. Sidhu's attendance, though not yet officially confirmed, signals deepening ties between Brussels and Ottawa.
The invitations arrive as the EU navigates a delicate position between the United States and Canada amid escalating trade disputes. Sidhu has been tasked with expanding Canada's trade beyond the U.S., while relations with Washington are managed by Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc.
Further underscoring the strengthening relationship, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is scheduled to attend European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s State of the Union speech in Strasbourg on September 16-17 and will also address the European Parliament. Earlier this week, EU trade chief Maroš Šefčovič discussed digital trade with his Canadian counterpart, highlighting the success of their free-trade agreement.
The informal meeting of EU trade ministers, organized by the Irish presidency, is expected to cover the bloc’s trade relations with major global partners.