Mark Carney says EU-Canada talks covered "a series of trade issues that had been bubbling along"

At the closing news conference of the 29-30 October EU-Canada summit in Montreal, Prime Minister Mark Carney said the talks had covered several trade matters but did not give details. The comments relate to continuing concerns over the EU’s carbon border levy, known as CBAM, which took effect in January 2026 and adds carbon costs to certain imports. According to a December 2025 internal document seen by Euronews, Ottawa is effectively seeking an exemption from the measure; the document says Canada does not qualify and wants a practical deal that reduces administrative burdens for exporters. CBAM could affect Canadian aluminum, steel, critical minerals and hydrogen sales, and the issue may test the closer EU-Canada cooperation promoted at the summit as Carney seeks to lessen reliance on the US market.