EU offers Canada associate membership as Trump threatens tariffs over move

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed making Canada the European Union’s first “associate member”, prompting US President Donald Trump to threaten fresh tariffs against the bloc if he considers the move hostile.

Von der Leyen made the proposal during her annual State of the Union address in Strasbourg on Sep 16, with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney attending the European Parliament session. She said the EU wanted to deepen its partnership with Canada beyond the existing free-trade relationship.

The proposed status would be a new arrangement for the EU. It does not mean Canada would become a full member of the 27-nation bloc. The details of what associate membership would involve have yet to be worked out, and the proposal would require approval from EU member states before it could move forward.

The proposal comes as Canada and the EU seek closer cooperation in areas including trade, defence, energy, technology and critical raw materials. Carney had earlier said Canada was looking for a “unique alliance” with the EU as relations between Ottawa and Washington have deteriorated amid trade tensions.

Trump reacted to the proposal on Sep 16 while speaking to reporters in North Carolina. He said the US could impose “very serious tariffs” on Europe or stop trading with the bloc in some areas if he considered the move a hostile act.

“If it’s a good intention, that’s fine,” Trump said, adding that the US would impose “very heavy tariffs” if he believed the move had bad intentions. He also described the proposal as “laughable”.

The European Commission said the proposal was not directed against the US or any other country. Olof Gill, a spokesperson for the commission, said the proposed strengthening of ties with Canada was intended to build common strength.

France’s Europe Minister Benjamin Haddad also rejected the suggestion that Washington should have a say in the EU’s geopolitical decisions. He said the direction of Europe’s political and geopolitical policy was for Europeans to determine.

The proposal has also raised questions within Europe because associate membership does not currently have an established legal framework within the EU. Reuters reported that some European diplomats expressed uncertainty over what the new status would mean and whether it had been sufficiently discussed with member states.

Carney was scheduled to address the European Parliament on Sep 17, where he was expected to outline his government’s approach to strengthening ties with Europe. His visit comes as Canada seeks to diversify its international economic and strategic partnerships amid worsening trade relations with the US.

For now, Canada’s possible associate membership remains a proposal rather than an agreed arrangement. Any formal move would require further negotiations between Canada and the EU and approval from the bloc’s member states.