Carney to visit Ireland, Philippines, Cambodia and China Nov 11–19 for four summits

OTTAWA, Nov 4 — Prime Minister Mark Carney will travel to Ireland, the Philippines, Cambodia and China from November 11 to 19, 2026, representing Canada at four major international summits to advance trade, investment, culture and security interests, the Prime Minister's Office announced November 4. (Photo is a file image of Prime Minister Carney, not a photo from this trip.)

The four stops

In Dublin, Ireland, Carney will attend the Summit of the European Political Community. Canada and the European Union launched the Alliance for the Future at last month's Canada-EU Summit in Montréal, and are working toward Canada becoming the EU's first Associate Member — the deepest partnership short of accession.

In Manila, Philippines, Carney will attend the ASEAN Summit as Guest of the Chair, working to finalise the ASEAN-Canada free trade agreement, which his office says would unlock exports of more than $3.5 billion. He will also aim to conclude negotiations on a Canada-Philippines free trade agreement expected to triple bilateral trade by 2035.

In Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Carney will attend the Sommet de la Francophonie, deepening ties across the French-speaking world ahead of Canada hosting the summit in 2028 — the first time in 20 years, after the 2008 summit in Québec City. The final stop is Shenzhen, China, for the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting. His office says Canada transformed its relationship with China over the past year, launching a Strategic Partnership that is unlocking more than $7 billion in export markets, and the visit will build on that progress.

The numbers behind the trip

The official background figures underline the economic stakes: the EU is Canada's second-largest trading partner for goods and services, worth about $178 billion in 2025; two-way merchandise trade between Canada and ASEAN totalled $52.5 billion in 2025, up 23.7% from 2024, with ASEAN members collectively the world's fifth-largest economy and third-largest population; APEC's 21 member economies account for more than 60% of global GDP and 80.6% of Canada's merchandise trade, and Canada has free trade agreements with 12 APEC economies; China is Canada's second-largest single-country merchandise trading partner, with two-way trade of $125.7 billion in 2025 and more than 1.7 million Canadian residents of Chinese origin.

The trip will mark Carney's first visits to Cambodia and the Philippines since taking office, and his first participation in a Sommet de la Francophonie. "Canada has what the world wants: the energy, the resources, the talent, the technology, and the capital," Carney said. "We are building our strength at home and diversifying our partnerships abroad."

(Source: Prime Minister of Canada news release, November 4, 2026.)