The EU and Canada have concluded negotiations on a Digital Trade Agreement to facilitate cross-border digital trade, support trusted data flows, reduce barriers for businesses and strengthen consumer protections, building on their existing trade and digital partnership.
The European Union and Canada have concluded negotiations on a Digital Trade Agreement (DTA), according to a release by the European Commission on 30 October 2026.
The deal builds on the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which has been provisionally applied since 2017. Both sides say the DTA will keep their trade relationship up to date for a digital economy.
Negotiations were launched earlier in 2026, at the fifth meeting of the CETA Joint Committee on 5 March 2026.
What the agreement covers
The DTA sets clear and predictable rules for businesses. It also protects people and their rights. The agreement removes unjustified barriers that slow down cross-border operations. It creates a framework for trusted data flows between the EU and Canada and blocks restrictions that could disrupt business. These rules matter for companies in every sector, especially small and medium businesses.
The agreement also simplifies digital trade. It covers electronic contracts, electronic signatures and electronic invoices, which cut paperwork and transaction costs.
Consumers gain new protections. The agreement bans unsolicited commercial electronic messages. Commercial messages must name the sender and give recipients a way to stop further contact. The deal also targets misleading, fraudulent and deceptive online practices.
Trade figures and the digital partnership
Bilateral trade in goods and services rose 80% between 2016 and 2025, from EUR 72.1 billion to more than EUR 130 billion. According to Eurostat, trade in digitally delivered services reached EUR 19.8 billion in 2025. EU exports to Canada totalled EUR 11.2 billion, while EU imports from Canada came to EUR 8.6 billion.
The DTA builds on the Digital Partnership between the EU and Canada, which was set up in December 2023. That partnership provides a framework for regulatory and research cooperation. The new agreement goes further by creating binding commitments, which give businesses and consumers legal certainty.
Next steps
The political conclusion marks the end of the negotiations for the EU-Canada Digital Trade Agreement. The EU and Canada will now follow their respective procedures to work towards the formal signature and conclusion of the agreement. On the EU side, this will include legal scrubbing and translations into all EU languages before the proposal can be submitted to the Council and the European Parliament.
