Prime Minister Mark Carney is wrapping up a brief visit to the Philippines and heading to Cambodia, as the government pushes for more trade access in the region.
Carney is at the summit of the Associate of Southeast Asian nations, where Canada concluded negotiations for a trade deal with the Philippines and continues talks for a deal with the wide bloc of 11 countries.
Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu tells reporters travelling with Carney that the wider deal gives access to smaller countries, while Canada also has deeper agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines.
“You can get more into the weeds. You can upgrade later on, when you’re dealing with (one deal that is) bilateral, as opposed to an agreement with 11 partners,” he said in Manila.
“It’s the fastest growing region in the world, 700 million consumers, an economy valued at $6 trillion.”
Carney is set to meet today with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit.
He will then leave for Cambodia for a summit of the Francophonie, including a side event on technology trade in Phnom Penh.
While there, Carney will meet with Quebec Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon who is pushing for more autonomy in Quebec’s international relations, though Sidhu says Ottawa is working constructively with the province.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2026.
By Dylan Robertson | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.