Canada concludes trade talks with the Philippines and substantially concludes an ASEAN deal, with signatures targeted for 2027
MANILA, Philippines — International News Service – Canada has concluded free-trade negotiations with the Philippines and says it has substantially concluded a separate agreement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, opening a long path toward lower trade barriers with a region of nearly 700 million people.
Prime Minister Mark Carney announced both developments Saturday at the ASEAN summit in Manila. The agreements are not yet signed or in force. Legal review, remaining technical work and domestic approval steps still have to be completed, and Ottawa says it is aiming to sign both deals in 2027.
The distinction matters for Canadian businesses. No tariff changes take effect with Saturday’s announcement, and the final texts and product-by-product schedules were not available at the research cutoff.
A wider market, but projected gains remain forecasts
ASEAN was Canada’s fifth-largest merchandise trading partner in 2025. Two-way merchandise trade was worth $52.5 billion, up 22.7 per cent from 2024, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
Ottawa estimates the ASEAN agreement could add nearly $2 billion to Canada’s economy and create close to 14,000 jobs once it is in force, with agriculture and manufacturing among the expected beneficiaries. Those figures are government projections, not guaranteed results.
The Philippines agreement would cover a market of more than 110 million people. The federal government says it could help triple Canadian exports to the country by 2035, especially in agriculture and forest products. Canada-Philippines merchandise trade totalled $3.4 billion in 2025.
The Philippines deal was described as concluded, while the ASEAN agreement was described as substantially concluded. Ottawa said remaining ASEAN steps would be completed as quickly as possible. Negotiations with the 11-member bloc began in 2021.
Security and public-safety measures accompany the trade push
Prime Minister Carney also announced more than $15.9 million for ASEAN projects, including $5 million to help eligible member states prepare for the agreement and ratification. Other funding is intended for police training, cybercrime and counterterrorism work, nuclear-security training, regional electricity connections and efforts against illegal fishing.
Canada and the Philippines also announced closer military and cyber-security cooperation and $26 million for projects in nuclear safety, climate-resilient agriculture, food security, infrastructure and community resilience.
The government did not release the negotiated trade texts Saturday. Canadian producers, workers, Indigenous governments and other affected groups will need the final language to assess market access, safeguards, labour and environmental rules, and the treatment of sensitive sectors.
