Canada presses on with trade diversification strategy as Trump blusters

International Trade Minister Mary Ng speaks to reporters at the APEC CEO Summit in Lima, Peru on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick)

OTTAWA — While President Donald Trump is taking up all the space on the main stage by threatening to upend bilateral trade, Canada is busy working on other free trade deals in the background.

Trade Minister Mary Ng tells The Canadian Press that Ottawa has inked a free-trade agreement with Ecuador, the sixth-largest economy in South America.

She says it marks the 16th such deal signed since the government launched its trade diversification strategy eight years ago.

Canada hasn’t had a great streak of luck in talks with its traditional trade partners, with the U.K. walking away from discussions with Canada last year over access to the cheese market.

Ng says she would welcome the U.K. back at any time, but in the meantime she’s busy working on signing agreements with other countries.

Ottawa is currently at the negotiating table with the block of 10 countries part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and launched exploratory discussions with the Philippines late last year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 4, 2025.

Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press