Canada and the European Union are nearing a digital trade agreement designed to make cross-border business simpler, according to International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu, Global News reports.
Sidhu visited Ireland on Thursday to move the negotiations on before a Canada-EU summit, which Montreal hosts next week. He said the deal would reduce friction around electronic signatures and contracts, paperless trade, secure data flows across borders, duties on electronic transmissions and online commerce.
According to Sidhu, Canada sold almost $15 billion of digital services to the EU in 2024, and an agreement could help that figure grow. Prime Minister Mark Carney has been seeking closer ties with Europe, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has floated the idea of Canada becoming the EU's first associate member. Both sides are expected to set out further steps at the summit.
Source: Global News Canada
Photo: Le Stade Olympique de Montréal Nuit Arriere Edit 1 by Acarpentier ; this edited version by Sting, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Illustrative image of Montreal.
