Michael Taube: Carney’s EU mistake is nearly complete

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeNP Comment Michael Taube: Carney’s EU mistake is nearly complete There is no way that the EU could ever replace the United States as far as trade with Canada goes Author of the article: By Michael Taube Published Sep 11, 2026 4 minute read Join the conversation Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney (L) shakes hands with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen next to European Council President Antonio Costa during the 20th EU-Canada summit in Brussels, on June 23, 2025. PHOTO BY OLIVIER MATTHYS/POOL/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES Article content Prime Minister Mark Carney described Canada as the “most European of non-European countries” at a joint summit in Brussels last summer. This eye-raising remark led some political pundits and columnists (including me) to speculate that his personal mission wasn’t to improve relations with the U.S., but to jump into the “waiting arms” of the European Union. Article content Article content If that was his ultimate goal, it seemed rather unrealistic from the very beginning. Article content RECOMMENDED VIDEOS Article content Right? The National Post newsletter that doesn’t hold back, giving readers the unvarnished truth on media, politics and culture. Sign Up By signing up, you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content The EU has the world’s second-largest economy (behind the U.S.) and third-largest GDP (behind China and the U.S.), whereas Canada is a middle power at the best of times. Our country’s water, energy and natural resources may have real value in the free market economy, but the EU’s 27 member states wouldn’t want to pay hefty premiums to purchase them when many options exist in a closer (and cheaper) location. Article content Meanwhile, Canada and the EU already had a trade deal in place, the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which was signed in 2017. CETA removes 99 per cent of all tariff lines on products from the two trade partners.  What more did Canada have to offer? You can only lower the price of back bacon and maple syrup by so much, after all. Article content And yet, it appears that a full-fledged Canada-EU alliance may be in the works. Article content Bloomberg published an exclusive story this week that revealed Canada and the EU are…