Key Developments
On 14 November 2026, the Prime Minister of Canada said Canada had concluded negotiations on free trade agreements with ASEAN and the Philippines, and the Prime Minister of Canada said Prime Minister Mark Carney and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also discussed defence cooperation and regional security in Manila.
Key Statistics
- 2 free trade agreements concluded with ASEAN and the Philippines, according to the Prime Minister of Canada
- More than 700 million people in the market Canada said the agreements would help Canadian firms access, according to the Prime Minister of Canada
- 14,000 jobs expected from the agreements, according to the Prime Minister of Canada
- CA$3.4 billion in trade value cited for the Canada-Philippines relationship, according to the Prime Minister of Canada
- US$2 billion in expected GDP growth linked to the trade agreements, according to the Prime Minister of Canada
- US$26 million in Canadian assistance for projects in the Philippines, according to the Prime Minister of Canada
Main Body
On 14 November 2026, the Prime Minister of Canada announced that Canada had completed negotiations for free trade agreements with ASEAN and the Philippines, a move the government said would widen market access for Canadian businesses. The same day, the Prime Minister of Canada said Prime Minister Mark Carney met Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Manila to expand the Canada-Philippines Strategic Partnership.
The Prime Minister of Canada said the agreements were expected to support agriculture and manufacturing, increase Canadian GDP, and create jobs. In the Manila readout, the Prime Minister of Canada said the leaders highlighted an agreement expected to triple exports by 2035, announced Canadian assistance for development projects, and discussed defence cooperation and regional security.
The announcement followed an earlier travel plan issued on 4 November 2026, when the Prime Minister of Canada said Carney would visit Europe and Asia to diversify partnerships, increase trade, and attract investment. It also followed a 12 November 2026 statement in which the Prime Minister of Canada said Canada and the EU had launched more than 20 initiatives on competitiveness and economic resilience.
The development mattered because the Prime Minister of Canada presented the agreements as part of a wider trade diversification effort, while the Prime Minister of Canada linked the Manila talks to security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. Together, the announcements connected economic access, development assistance, and defence dialogue in Canada’s engagement with Southeast Asia.
