How many international trade agreements has Prime Minister Carney signed or initiated?

1. What is clearly signed: the UAE investment pact and Indonesia CEPA

Carney formally signed a Canada–UAE FIPA during his November 2025 visit to Abu Dhabi and simultaneously launched talks toward a fuller trade agreement ^{[1] [2]}. Earlier, Ottawa announced the Canada–Indonesia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) as a new bilateral trade deal — described as Canada’s first bilateral trade agreement with an ASEAN country — which was presented publicly by Carney and Indonesia’s president at an Ottawa event ^[3].

2. Active negotiations: a Canada–ASEAN free trade agreement and other talks

Carney’s government is actively advancing a Canada–ASEAN free trade agreement that ministers and the prime minister say would cover nearly 700 million consumers and add about $1.5 billion to Canada’s economy, with negotiations anticipated to conclude in 2026 ^{[4] [5]}. Officials also describe accelerated negotiations and technical-assistance investments to speed implementation ^[4].

3. Multilateral outreach and strategic market-building beyond bilateral deals

Beyond bilateral agreements, Carney has publicly pursued strategic ties that could translate into trade frameworks: he promoted closer links between the CPTPP and the EU at the G20 and used APEC meetings to pitch new trade and investment pathways with Indo‑Pacific partners, including South Korea, and to announce cooperative instruments such as audiovisual coproduction and security/defence partnerships that support trade objectives ^{[6] [7]}.

4. Counting “signed” versus “initiated” — why a single number is elusive

Official communications and press coverage list signed deals (UAE FIPA, Indonesia CEPA) and multiple launched negotiations (Canada–ASEAN FTA, UAE trade talks) but do not publish an exhaustive list or single tally of every trade instrument Carney has signed or initiated ^{[1] [3] [4] [2]}. Reuters and other outlets note ongoing talks with the U.S. and China and describe a broader push to diversify markets, further complicating a simple count ^{[8] [9]}. Available sources do not provide a definitive total number that captures all categories (signed treaties, MOUs, investment pacts, launch of negotiations).

5. Political context and competing narratives around Carney’s trade push

Coverage frames Carney’s agenda as deliberately shifting Canada away from near-total reliance on U.S. markets toward diversified Indo‑Pacific and global partners ^{[9] [10]}. Some commentators praise his ability to secure new investment linkages and normalize relations with large markets ^[11], while columnists and critics argue the plan is unrealistic or overstated in its economic promises ^[12]. This disagreement affects whether observers treat MOUs, launched talks and investment-protection agreements as equivalent to full “trade agreements.”

6. What journalists and researchers should look for next

To convert these initiatives into a clear count, track formal instruments deposited or ratified (texts of treaties, parliamentary ratifications) versus launch announcements or MOUs. For now, primary documents cited by the Prime Minister’s Office identify at least two signed instruments (UAE FIPA and Indonesia CEPA) and several initiated or accelerated negotiations (Canada–ASEAN FTA, UAE trade talks, CPTPP–EU dialogue) ^{[1] [3] [4] [6] [2]}. Available sources do not list a comprehensive ledger of every trade-related instrument the Carney government has executed.

Limitations: this analysis relies solely on the provided press releases and news reports; I do not assert the existence or non‑existence of other signed agreements beyond what those sources report ^{[1] [3] [2] [4] [6]}.