Canada-Spain relations
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Bilateral relations
Canada and Spain are partners and allies that enjoy a strong relationship based on shared values, strong people-to-people ties, and mutually beneficial commercial relations. Both countries uphold the principles of democracy, human rights, and gender equality, and are deeply committed to fostering diverse and inclusive societies.
Canada and Spain believe in progressive and open economic and trade relations as a source of prosperity for all, and share a commitment to multilateralism.
Defence
Spain and Canada are NATO Allies and committed to defending international peace and global security. The two countries are active participants in a variety of multilateral peace and security operations, especially in the NATO enhanced Forward Presence battle group in Latvia, led by Canada.
Youth mobility, education and culture
Spain and Canada enjoy strong academic relations with more than 100 agreements between Canadian and Spanish universities. Spanish students increasingly choose Canada as a destination for their studies and the multiple agreements between Canadian and Spanish universities attest to the excellent collaboration between the two academic communities.
Spain also has Memorandums of Understanding with several provinces, including Alberta, Manitoba and British Columbia, to support Spanish-English bilingual education opportunities.
Trade relations
Canada and Spain enjoy a stable trading relationship. The provisional application of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which Spain ratified in December 2017, led to the elimination of tariffs on important Canadian exports to Spain and increased the awareness of business opportunities in both countries.
Canada and Spain’s trading relationship has grown steadily during the last decade and holds significant potential for further growth.
In 2024, two-way goods and services trade between Canada and Spain totalled $7.9 billion. Mineral ores, cereals, and machinery rank among the top 3 products Canada exported to Spain in 2024.
Bilateral innovation and technological cooperation are facilitated through Horizon Europe and the international Eureka program, where organizations such as the National Research Council of Canada and Spain’s Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology support market-oriented joint projects.
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Partnerships and organizations
To develop effective responses to today’s most pressing global challenges, Canada and Spain work closely in multilateral fora, such as:
- European Union (EU)
- International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
- International Criminal Court (ICC)
- North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
- Open Government Partnership (OGP)
- Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
- Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
- United Nations (UN)
- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
- World Trade Organization (WTO)
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