Monday February 23, 2026 | NATIONAL NEWS
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Prime Minister Mark Carney will soon be on a trade mission to India, Australia, and Japan.
His international trip from February 26 to March 7 has the goal of unlocking new opportunities for Canadian workers and businesses across sectors of trade, energy, technology, and defence.
Building parnterships:
“In a changing world, we are investing in our strength, diversifying our trade, and cultivating a dense web of new connections throughout the world to build Canada strong,” said Carney in a news release today.
The federal government identifies India, Australia and Japan as among Canada’s strongest Indo-Pacific partners.
The trip is for the deepening of deepen regional ties that are seen as critical to Canada’s security and prosperity.
India: Prime Minister Carney will first visit Mumbai, then New Delhi where he will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The leaders will focus on elevating and expanding the Canada-India relationship, with ambitious new partnerships in trade, energy, technology and artificial intelligence (AI), talent and culture, and defence. He will meet with business leaders to identify investment opportunities in Canada and create new partnerships between businesses in both nations.
Australia: Carney will then travel to Sydney and Canberra, Australia to meet with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and deepen cooperation on defence and maritime security, critical minerals, trade, and advanced technologies, including AI. He will deliver an address to both Houses of Australia’s Parliament and invited dignitaries – marking the first such address by a Canadian Prime Minister in nearly 20 years. Prime Minister Carney will also meet with business leaders and investors to attract new capital into Canada and support two-way trade and investment with Australia.
Japan: In Tokyo, Prime Minister Carney will meet with Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae to strengthen mutual investment and partnerships in clean energy, advanced manufacturing, critical minerals, and food security. The leaders will also discuss strengthening joint efforts on security and defence, including to support a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Scope of trade opportunity:
According to the Prime Minister’s Office in a news release today,
- India is the world’s fastest-growing major economy and a powerhouse in global commerce and technology. In 2024, India was Canada’s seventh-largest goods and services trading partner, with two-way trade coming to $30.8 billion.
- At last year’s G20 Leaders’ Summit, Canada and India agreed to formally launch negotiations for an ambitious Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement that will support Canada’s goal to more than double two-way trade to $70 billion by 2030.
- Canada and Australia have a robust trade relationship, with bilateral merchandise trade totalling $6.1 billion in 2024 and Canadian direct investment in Australia amounting to $58.8 billion that same year.
- Last fall, on the margins of the G20 Leaders’ Summit, Canada, India, and Australia entered into a new trilateral technology and innovation partnership to deepen strategic collaboration on critical and emerging technologies and drive further diversification of supply chains toward a secure, sustainable, and resilient future.
- Japan is the world’s fourth-largest national economy and a critical commercial partner for Canada, with bilateral trade between our countries worth $36.4 billion annually.
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