Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, met with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., on the margins of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Canada and the Philippines have a strong and close relationship, supported by a Canadian-Filipino community of nearly one million people. The leaders discussed driving further growth in the strong economic relationship between Canada and the Philippines, which supports over $3 billion in trade, including in manufacturing products, defence, and both conventional and clean energy.
The Prime Minister discussed Canada’s new mission to double its non-U.S. exports in the next decade. To that end, the leaders agreed to accelerate negotiations on a Canada-ASEAN free trade agreement, with the intention to conclude negotiations in 2026 during the Philippines’ ASEAN chairmanship. The leaders also announced their intention to imminently launch negotiations on a bilateral Canada-Philippines free trade agreement, with the goal of conclusion in 2026.
Prime Minister Carney and President Marcos Jr. welcomed the opportunity for a bilateral visit at the earliest opportunity and agreed to remain in close contact.