Canada is experiencing a historic geopolitical moment. The country is affected by the changing policies of Donald Trump and is approaching the European Union in search of new partners. In this context, King Felipe VI will make an official trip to Canada between Tuesday and Thursday of next week. This trip is of great commercial importance - in fact, it is the first trip of the Monarch organized by the Ministry of Economy and not the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - but it will also have a cultural and sentimental aspect.
"We want to consolidate a strategy of approaching Canada after two trips by the Vice President of the Government and Minister of Economy, Carlos Cuerpo, and years of intense technical work," explained sources from the Ministry of Economy. With next week's trip, it will be Cuerpo's third trip to Canada, and they hope that the King's visit will consolidate the work done all this time: "We want results and actions," the same sources conclude.
Felipe VI will arrive in Ottawa on Tuesday around eight in the evening, Spanish time. He will be received by the acting Governor of the country, Mary Simon, with whom he will have dinner accompanied by the Vice President, the Secretary of State for Economy, Amparo López Senovilla; and the Director General of the Cervantes Institute, Luis García Montero.
In Toronto, on Wednesday, the trip will focus on the economic aspect. Canada and Spain jointly have a Gross Domestic Product of 4.5 trillion euros, but their bilateral trade is modest, with 7 billion euros in trade. Canada is also the eleventh largest economy in the world, while Spain is three places below. They hope that this harmony will increase after the King's visit. "The global geopolitical situation since the launch of the new American policy represents an opportunity for Spain, because in Canada there is a perception of excessive dependence on the United States and they are calling for a coalition of medium powers that aims not to fall into the networks of the major powers," explain the sources.
Therefore, a business meeting has been organized at the MaRS Discovery District where the Minister of Artificial Intelligence, Evan Solomon, will host the King, the delegation, and the 170 companies registered for the meeting, including Indra - which has a significant contract for simulators with Canada - or Multiverse. During this meeting, a Memorandum of Understanding on AI between the two countries will be signed. This will be followed by a lunch and coffee with 20 Canadian entrepreneurs with investments in Spain.
It is worth noting that the economic relations between the two countries are going through a consolidation phase driven by the CETA trade agreement and the increasing presence of Spanish companies in strategic sectors of the Canadian market. After several years of decline, bilateral trade resumed growth in 2025, with a 14.5% increase, while Spanish exports reached 2.235 billion euros, especially in machinery, pharmaceutical products, and agri-food. At the same time, major Spanish companies such as Ferrovial, Acciona, or Grifols have strengthened their presence in infrastructure, renewable energies, and health, consolidating Canada as a priority market for Spanish investment in North America. The relationship is also intensifying in the opposite direction, with Canadian funds and companies gaining weight in key sectors of the Spanish economy, such as renewable energies, healthcare, and real estate.
An award and a return to his youth
Once the economic agenda is completed, King Felipe will go to the University of Toronto to meet with the Spanish community and then present Margaret Atwood with the Joan Margarit award. The author of The Handmaid's Tale will receive this award for "her poetic work, written since the beginning of her literary career, which stands out for a mastery of language capable of addressing themes such as feminism, ecology, love, or disillusionment," as stated in the jury's report.
This will conclude the intense Wednesday schedule, leading up to the most emotional moment of the trip, which will take place on Thursday morning. Felipe VI will return to Lakefield College School, the boarding school in Ontario where he completed his Pre-University Orientation Course (COU). The King will reunite with friends and former classmates, who will pay tribute to him. The educational institution will unveil a new building named after King Felipe VI. A return to his youth to close a trip where the King will seek opportunities for Spain.