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HANOVER — Quebec Premier François Legault believes Europe’s rearmament presents an “extraordinary opportunity” for his province as it tries to diversify trade away from the United States.
Legault told a gathering in Hanover, Germany, that Europe plans to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on defence in the coming years, as U.S. President Donald Trump has signaled he may no longer be willing to protect Canada or the European Union.
The chief of the EU’s executive has proposed an 800-billion-euro defence plan that aims to lessen the impact of potential U.S. disengagement and support Ukraine in its war with Russia.
Legault says several Quebec sectors could contribute to that effort, including shipbuilding, aerospace, critical minerals and artificial intelligence.
Legault is in Germany until April 2 on an economic mission aimed at seeking new partners amid Trump’s tariff threats against Canada.
He wrote on social media Sunday that Quebec must transform the worry and anger around the trade war into an opportunity to redefine and strengthen its economy.
In his address to Quebec’s delegation to Germany, Legault sent a pointed message to Trump, who has imposed a 25 per cent duty on Canadian aluminum. Legault noted that Quebec supplies 60 per cent of U.S. aluminum needs.
“Now, Mr. Trump says, ‘I don’t need you guys’… Personally, it would give me pleasure to take a good portion of our aluminum and find places, Germany among others, to send it,” he said, adding that would force Trump to “find aluminum elsewhere.”
The president of the province’s investment arm, Investissement Québec, acknowledged it would be difficult to penetrate the European defence market, but not impossible given the expertise in the province.
“I think there is certainly an opportunity in defence for Quebec, whether it’s at the level of helicopters, planes, flight simulators,” Hubert Bolduc said.
Legault’s trip wraps up Wednesday — the same day Trump has threatened to impose a new barrage of tariffs on Canadian goods.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 30, 2025.
Thomas Laberge, The Canadian Press
