CN Canada | November 4, 2026
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney will visit Ireland, the Philippines, Cambodia and China from November 11 to 19, pursuing new trade opportunities and investment as Canada seeks to broaden its international partnerships.
The Prime Minister’s Office announced Wednesday that Carney will participate in four international summits, with economic cooperation, security and cultural ties among the priorities. Trade negotiations will feature prominently during his visit to Manila, where he will attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit as a guest of the chair. Carney will seek to finalize an ASEAN–Canada free trade agreement and conclude negotiations on a separate agreement with the Philippines.
According to the PMO, the proposed ASEAN agreement could open more than $3.5 billion in export opportunities, while the Philippines agreement is projected to triple bilateral trade by 2035. Those figures represent anticipated benefits rather than completed trade gains. Canada’s two-way merchandise trade with ASEAN countries reached $52.5 billion in 2025, an increase of 23.7 per cent from the previous year. The tour will begin in Dublin, where Carney will attend the European Political Community summit. The visit follows the launch of the Canada–European Union Alliance for the Future at last month’s summit in Montréal. The PMO said Canada and the EU are working toward an associate membership arrangement intended to deepen their relationship without full accession. The EU was Canada’s second-largest trading partner for goods and services in 2025, with trade valued at approximately $178 billion.
In Phnom Penh, Carney will attend the Francophonie summit to strengthen relations with French-speaking countries and governments. Canada is preparing to host the gathering in the National Capital Region in 2028. The itinerary concludes in Shenzhen, where Carney will participate in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders’ meeting. Discussions will build on Canada’s strategic partnership with China, with a focus on commercial opportunities and investment.
China was Canada’s second-largest individual merchandise trading partner in 2025, with two-way trade totalling $125.7 billion.
The trip will mark Carney’s first visits to the Philippines and Cambodia since becoming prime minister. The announcement outlines the government’s objectives for the tour; it does not confirm the completion of the proposed trade agreements.
Source: Prime Minister’s Office, November 4, 2026.