Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau launched the Canada-EU summit on Wednesday by praising the “progress” resulting from CETA, their free trade deal, while European Council president Donald Tusk called Ottawa the bloc’s “closest transatlantic partner”.

Their mutual praise contrasted with the strained ties between Europe and the US under President Donald Trump and his protectionist administration.

“Ceta [Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement] goes far beyond lowering trade barriers and reaching new markets … With Ceta, we’re doing trade differently,” Trudeau said at the start of the 17th summit.

Ceta went into effect in practically its entirety in September 2017 and so far has been ratified by 13 of the 28 EU member states and Canada.

The pact removes tariffs on nearly all goods and services between Canada and Europe, which the EU says eliminates €590 million ($665 million) in customs duties each year.

Since the accord came into effect, EU exports to Canada have risen 15 per cent, a European official said.

Canadian exports to the EU rose seven per cent last year compared to the previous year to $44.5 billion, according to Canadian government figures.

But the agreement is controversial – some environmentalists, social activists and free trade sceptics argue it gives too much power to corporations and does not give citizens a balancing right to take legal action if companies break the rules.

Canada says that work remains to be done to persuade businesses of the opportunities provided by the accord.

Several EU member states, most notably France, also oppose the agreement.

But Trudeau praised the cooperation between Ottawa and Brussels as “an example to the world”.

In the face of challenges “to the rules-based order” and “multilateralism”, or “taking the form of populism”, Trudeau said, Canada and the EU worked together as “strong allies” to tackle major issues.

For his part, European Council president Tusk said he considers Canada the EU’s “closest transatlantic partner”, as the normally strong relations between the EU and the US have soured since the arrival of Trump in the White House.

“We can indeed count on each other in any situation,” said Tusk, who will leave his position at the end of the year.