Brussels: Canada wants to deepen its economic links with the EU and respect the world trade rules against threatened American rates, said Minister Mary Ng said Reuters SATURDAY.
The EU and Canada have benefited from a free trade agreement since 2017, which increased bilateral trade by 65% and created a raw material partnership in 2021.
NG met the head of commerce from EU Maros Sefcovic for a lunch on Saturday after a meeting with Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Managing Director of the World Trade Organization in Geneva on Friday.
“Trade agreements are one thing, and we have seen very large figures, but what can we do to help Canadian companies enter one of the 27 member states … and what can we do More in Canada “NG says.
She said that critical minerals and small businesses would be part of the fields of intervention with the EU. The EU, in particular, wishes to forge partnerships to secure essential metals for the energy transition – Cobalt, Lithium and Nickel – to reduce its dependence on China.
Canada also pushes to diversify its exports and has set a target in 2018 by increasing non -American exports by 50% by 2025. NG said the country was on the right track to achieve or exceed the objective.
Canada concluded trade agreements with Indonesia in December and Ecuador last week and pushes hard in the Indo-Pacific region. The Minister runs a delegation comprising more than 200 companies in Australia, Singapore and Brunei next week.
“We are at the table with the countries of Southeast Asia, therefore the association of Nations of Southeast Asia. I took a very large delegation of Canadian companies in the Philippines in December, in Indonesia, in markets like Vietnam, Malaysia, Japan, Korea, in Korea, “NG added.
Ottawa threatened reprisals and legal proceedings against the United States after President Donald Trump announced prices in Canada and Mexico a week ago and before taking a break on their taxation for 30 days. NG said Canada could challenge Washington to the WTO if prices were imposed.
“We would consider that all the options are available in Canada, because Canada is a country that believes in a rules based on rules,” said NG.