OTTAWA, Feb 23 : Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that he will travel to India, Australia, and Japan from February 26 to March 7 to diversify Canada’s trade, unlock new opportunities for Canadian workers and secure new partnerships in energy, technology, and defence.
In a more divided and uncertain world, Canada’s new government is focused on what we can control. “We are building a stronger, more independent, and more resilient economy. We are building our strength at home, diversifying our trade abroad, and attracting massive new international investment,” the PM said.
Through the visits to three of Canada’s strongest Indo-Pacific partners, Carney aims to deepen regional ties that are critical to national security and economic prosperity.
The Prime Minister will begin his tour in Mumbai, followed by New Delhi, where he will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The leaders are expected to focus on elevating and expanding the Canada-India relationship through new partnerships in trade, energy, technology and artificial intelligence (AI), talent and culture, and defence. Carney will also meet with business leaders to identify investment opportunities in Canada and forge new collaborations between Canadian and Indian companies.
He will then travel to Sydney and Canberra to meet with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, focusing on defence and maritime security, critical minerals, trade, and advanced technologies. Carney will address both Houses of Australia’s Parliament, the first Canadian Prime Minister to do so in nearly 20 years,and meet with business leaders to attract investment and strengthen two-way trade.
In Tokyo, he will meet Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae to boost partnerships in clean energy, advanced manufacturing, critical minerals, and food security. The leaders will also discuss joint security and defence efforts to support a free and open Indo-Pacific.
“Canada is focused on what we can control,” Carney said. “We are diversifying our trade and attracting massive new investment to create opportunities for our workers and businesses. We are forging new partnerships abroad to ensure greater certainty, security, and prosperity at home.”
India is the world’s fastest-growing major economy and was Canada’s seventh-largest trading partner in 2024, with two-way trade totaling $30.8 billion. Canada and India are negotiating a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement aiming to more than double trade to $70 billion by 2030.
Canada and Australia have strong trade links, with bilateral merchandise trade of $6.1 billion in 2024 and Canadian direct investment in Australia totaling $58.8 billion.
In 2025, Canada, India, and Australia launched a trilateral technology and innovation partnership to deepen collaboration on critical and emerging technologies and diversify supply chains.
Japan is the world’s fourth-largest economy and a key commercial partner, with bilateral trade with Canada worth $36.4 billion annually.
The Prime Minister’s tour underscores Canada’s strategy to build a resilient economy at home while strengthening international partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region.
(UNI)
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