Philippines, Canada wrap up talks for free trade deal

TRADE TALKS. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney witness the signing of a joint statement by the two countries' trade chiefs, in Manila on November 14, 2026.

Presidential Communications Office

The Philippines and Canada will work towards the signing of the free trade agreement in 2027

AT A GLANCE

• The Philippines and Canada have concluded negotiations for a free trade agreement, with plans to sign it in 2027.
• The FTA negotiations reflect a growing strategic partnership between the two nations, amid global security challenges and shifting geopolitical dynamics.

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MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines and Canada have concluded negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA), the two countries announced on Saturday, November 14, ahead of the 49th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Manila.

“The Philippines and Canada are pleased to announce the conclusion of negotiations of the Philippines-Canada FTA through a joint statement signed by the secretary of trade and industry of the Philippines and the minister of the international trade of Canada,” said Philippine Trade Secretary Cristina Aldeguer-Roque.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney witnessed the signing of the joint statement alongside Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday. Carney is also joining the summit as a guest of ASEAN chair Marcos.

Roque said the two countries will work towards the signing of the FTA in 2027.

“The joint statement also represents both countries’ commitment to expeditiously facilitate the implementation of the agreement and ensure that the resulting opportunities and benefits will directly impact the Filipino and Canadian peoples,” she said.

Official talks for the FTA between Canada and the Philippines started only in October 2025 or just shortly before a different bilateral agreement on military ties was signed. 

The pace and level of bilateral engagement between Canada and the Philippines has grown dramatically under Marcos. In July 2026, the two countries agreed to elevate ties to a strategic partnership, a status that reflects increased ties in both security through their Status of the Visiting Forces Agreement and economically through the FTA. 

Both Carney and Marcos have argued for the importance of middle powers to come together amid shifts in the global order and threats to both global and regional security. Carney’s speech in Davos in January 2026 was spurred by United States President Donald Trump’s unilateral tariffs across the world, including on traditional partners like Canada and the Philippines. Bilateral ties between Canada and the US have continued to sour over Trump’s trade policies.

For the Philippines, the threat is from its superpower neighbor China, which claims most of the South China Sea including the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea. Marcos made that pitch during the May 2024 Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. – Rappler.com