Canada aims to conclude ASEAN free trade deal this year, FM Anand says

Anand marked ASEAN Day on August 11 by joining ambassadors, representatives of ASEAN member states and Southeast Asian communities in Canada, highlighting the growing relationship between Ottawa and the 11-member regional bloc.

“For nearly 60 years, ASEAN has shown what countries can achieve through cooperation, dialogue and a shared commitment to regional stability,” Anand wrote on X.

Canada-ASEAN bilateral merchandise trade reached C$52.4 billion in 2025, making the Southeast Asian bloc Canada's fifth-largest merchandise trading partner as a group, according to Global Affairs Canada.

Anand said Canada is working to conclude a free trade agreement with ASEAN this year, which Ottawa says would provide Canadian businesses with greater access to Southeast Asian markets and strengthen trade and investment ties.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has also made completion of the Canada-ASEAN FTA a priority, with the government seeking to conclude negotiations by the end of 2026.

The proposed agreement would give Canadian businesses preferential access to a market of nearly 700 million people with an economy worth more than US$5 trillion, according to the prime minister's office.

Canada and ASEAN have been negotiating the trade agreement since formal talks were launched in 2022.

In July, Anand said during meetings in Manila that Canada remained committed to advancing the negotiations, while Canada and ASEAN adopted a 2026-2030 Plan of Action covering trade, investment, regional security and economic cooperation.

Ottawa is also seeking to expand cooperation beyond trade, Anand said, including on regional security, cybercrime, financial crime and scam centres, as well as biodiversity protection.

Canada's broader push into Southeast Asia comes as the government seeks to reduce its dependence on the U.S. market and expand commercial relationships across the Indo-Pacific.

Anand said Canada and ASEAN are approaching 50 years of diplomatic relations and that Ottawa will continue to deepen its engagement with the region.

Canada has participated in the ASEAN Regional Forum since its establishment in 1994 and formally became an ASEAN Dialogue Partner in 1977. The ASEAN-Canada Strategic Partnership was established in 2023.