VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The leaders of Canada and the Philippines stood together Thursday and announced plans to build stronger ties in trade, energy, and security, as Canada actively seeks to reduce its reliance on the American market.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney described Filipino-Canadians as being “at the very heart” of Canada, adding that both nations stand to gain through a strategic partnership focused on energy security and critical minerals.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed alignment between the two countries, saying, “We share the same aspirations, in terms of what we would want to achieve in the world.”
Together, the two leaders committed to working toward a Canada-Philippines free trade agreement, expanding defense and maritime cooperation across the Indo-Pacific, and building on economic ties bolstered by Canada’s community of one million Filipino residents.
Canada is currently in trade negotiations with both the Philippines individually and a wider bloc of Southeast Asian nations. Carney is aiming to wrap up those discussions before he travels to Manila in November, when Marcos will be presiding over the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Carney has made it a stated goal to double Canada’s exports to countries other than the United States over the next ten years, pointing to American tariffs as a factor that is cooling investment interest.
