A group of eight UK parliamentarians travelled to Ottawa and Toronto in February to discuss trade, defence and wider cooperation, looking at how the two nations can further collaborate to support each other as allies. 

Trade relations and diversification beyond the US

Discussions touched on Canada’s relationship with the United States and the impact this has on trade priorities. While Canadian parliamentarians acknowledged that geography means the US will likely remain Canada’s primary trading partner, there was a clear recognition that over-reliance on any one partner creates vulnerability, with comparisons drawn with the UK’s own relationship with the EU. This shared understanding of the need to diversify trade partners created a clear opportunity for the UK and Canada to look more intentionally to each other. In this context, Canada’s ambition to increase non-US exports by 50% was seen as an opportunity for trusted partners such as the UK. Alongside this, the Canadian government is prioritising the reduction of inter-provincial trade barriers to make up for trade lost with the US by trading more within Canada.  

Food trade and food security were other important areas of discussion. Canada is actively looking to diversify its food trade, with the priorities of the government being sovereignty and food autonomy. The ‘Buy Canadian’ initiative, visible through the increase of Canadian-made products displayed on supermarket shelves, reflects both a push to strengthen domestic supply chains and a wider sense of national pride. Some parliamentarians raised concerns that the current requirement for 98% of ingredients to be Canadian is too high and lowering it to 85% as with ‘Made in Quebec’ products would be more attainable and could unlock further growth, including through trade with trusted partners such as the UK. 

UK delegates found strong alignment with Canada’s approach, highlighting the UK’s own lessons on food security from the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Both countries agreed that resilient supply chains and trusted trading partners are essential, reinforcing the value of strengthening bilateral trade in agri-food related sectors. 

Beyond government-to-government relationships 

There was recognition that long-standing relationships, including that between the UK and Canada, can no longer be taken for granted, with calls for the UK and Canada to deepen and expand ties, beyond a government-to-government level. Examples of these included discussions on further strengthening the Canadian-Scottish partnership in offshore renewables and expanding trade and innovation links between Quebec and the UK. With the UK already Quebec’s second-largest commercial trade partner, delegates identified potential in aerospace and defence collaboration, supporting economic growth and shared security objectives. 

The Arctic also featured prominently in discussions on future cooperation. With around 40% of Canada classified as Arctic territory, Canadian priorities centre on protection, development, and human security. This created clear opportunities for UK-Canada collaboration, particularly in critical minerals, where Canada holds significant natural resources and the UK brings specialist expertise. 

Further links between the two nations were expressed, as Canada is the UK’s fourth largest research collaborator, with strengths in several sectors. These included semi-conductors, life sciences, quantum technologies, and artificial intelligence, of which there are already three national institutes within Canada that work with the UK. 

Regional engagement and connectivity 

At the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, the UK delegation gained insight into Canada’s provincial parliament system; in a country that operates on federal, provincial, and municipal levels. The importance of cooperation and balance across all levels of government was stressed, reflecting the complexity of delivering trade and economic growth in a federal system. 

Upon visiting the Niagara area and meeting with the Lord Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Niagara-on-the-Lake, there was discussion of opportunities to increase ties between the area and the UK. Niagara-on-the-Lake are looking at investing in an international airport, and Canadian airline WestJet opening up new flight routes between Toronto, Cardiff, and Glasgow, showing connectivity beyond the traditional London-based routes. 

Looking ahead 

While the UK and Canada have a special and close relationship, the visit made clear that both countries are intentionally choosing to renew and strengthen their partnership for the future. In a changing global landscape, there was a shared understanding that trusted relationships must be actively nurtured, not assumed. 

A member of the UK delegation to Canada expressed that the two nations are ‘proud of our shared history, conscious of our shared future’, a message to take forward as collaboration and connections continue to strengthen and expand.  

CPA UK continues to support parliamentarians in building on this relationship, having hosted the Canada-United Kingdom Inter-Parliamentary Association in March 2026 and plans for a follow up visit in October 2026 alongside collaboration with CPA Canada on a CPTPP Workshop for Commonwealth partners in late 2026. 

The delegation meeting with MPP Catherine Fife, CWP Chair