Mr. Carney, sell gas to Europe, don't join EU: Ben Woodfinden - National Post

Article contentAmid further strains in the Canada-U.S. trading relationship, Prime Minister Mark Carney is leading a push to diversify and expand our potential trade partners – and Europe appears to be his next big target.

But after a week of fanfare around Carney’s address to the European Parliament and talk of Canada becoming an “associate member” of the European Union, Canadians are left to wonder what all of this actually entails. National Post columnist Ben Woodfinden joins host Rob Breakenridge for a closer look at Carney’s European strategy and the many unanswered questions about what it actually means in practice.

As Woodfinden notes, no one on either side seems entirely sure what it would mean to be an “associate” E.U. member, and that such an arrangement could potentially have implications for Canadian sovereignty. Instead, Woodfinden argues we should build on our existing trade deal with the E.U. and prioritize the development and infrastructure that could facilitate a boost in exports to Europe: energy, pipelines, critical minerals, and greater port capacity.

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.