EU and Canada are preparing strategic agreements in the field of critical minerals, artificial intelligence, and digital trade

The European Union and Canada are set to announce a series of agreements in Montréal on Friday aimed at taking their partnership to an unprecedented level, against the backdrop of global rivalry between the United States and China and trade tensions generated by the Trump administration.

The agreements cover strategic areas such as critical minerals, artificial intelligence and digital trade. The EU, which depends on China for supplies of essential raw materials, intends to allow the European Investment Bank to finance Canadian export projects in this sector.

In the field of AI, Canadian researchers and companies could gain access to Europe’s supercomputing infrastructure to develop competitive and secure systems. Canada has also announced a one-billion-euro investment in Cohere, a company that collaborates with the German group Aleph Alpha.

The two sides are also discussing agreements for faster online transactions and Canada’s possible participation in the European Galileo and Erasmus programmes. The EU and Canada have been linked for ten years by the CETA free trade agreement, and their rapprochement has accelerated since Donald Trump returned to the White House. Prime Minister Mark Carney argues that diversifying partnerships will strengthen Canada, including in its relations with Washington.