The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Finance and National Revenue, will continue Canada's engagement with key European partners this week following his participation in Prime Minister Mark Carney's visit to Strasbourg, France, where Canada and European leaders advanced a shared agenda focused on economic growth, security and resilience and reaffirmed the importance of a strong transatlantic alliance. Building on the momentum of those discussions, the Minister will travel to the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland to advance Canada's commitment to shared prosperity and strengthened collaboration with European partners on both sides of the Atlantic.
The Minister will travel to the UK on September 17 to participate in a business working dinner hosted by the City of London Corporation. The event will provide an opportunity to engage with business leaders on investment, competitiveness and long-term economic growth. While in London, Minister Champagne will also hold a bilateral meeting with the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Right Honourable John Healey.
On September 18-19, the Minister will participate in the Informal Meeting of the European Union (EU) Economic and Financial Affairs Ministers and Central Bank Governors (ECOFIN) in Dublin, Ireland. Discussions will focus on global economic developments and the impact of artificial intelligence on the economy. Canada's participation as the only non-European country invited to the meeting underscores our growing role as a trusted partner to Europe and our shared ambition to deepen economic ties, build greater resilience, and unlock new opportunities for trade and investment.
Throughout his visit, Minister Champagne will hold bilateral meetings with European counterparts, European Commission leaders, and business leaders to discuss strengthening economic ties, advancing stable rules-based trade and greater financial integration, discussing shared security and resilience priorities, and identifying potential areas for deeper economic cooperation. These discussions will help lay the groundwork for the Canada-EU Summit in Montréal on October 29 and 30.
This visit builds on Minister Champagne's recent engagements across Europe, including visits to Belgium, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark and Italy, as Canada and Europe enter a new era of partnership focused on a shared future of prosperity, security, resilience, and clean growth.
Quick facts
- ECOFIN is responsible for negotiating and adopting legislative acts related to the EU's economic policy, taxation issues, and the regulation of financial issues and oversees the EU's economic relations with non-EU countries. It also prepares and adopts, together with the European Parliament, the EU annual budget.
- The EU is Canada's second-largest global trading partner for goods and services, with bilateral trade valued at approximately $178 billion in 2025, and second-largest partner for two-way direct investment, after the United States. Trade relations are governed by the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which addresses or eliminates barriers in virtually all sectors of the bilateral trade.
- The UK is Canada's largest trade partner in Europe. Trade has grown by a third since 2024, reaching $85 billion a year.
- Canada and the EU also work closely on a wide range of issues, including foreign policy, international peace and security, climate change and environment, health, and development cooperation.
