Two of Canada’s most senior ministers head to Mexico to discuss trade

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Canada sends two senior ministers to Mexico for trade meeting

Two of Canada’s most senior cabinet ministers will be in Mexico City this week holding bilateral meetings with government officials and the Mexican president, as Canada looks to improve its trading partnerships outside the United States.

Senior government officials confirmed to CTV News that the meeting, which will involve Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne and Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand, will take place Tuesday and Wednesday.

“Canada’s relationship with Mexico has never been stronger, or more important,” Champagne said in a statement.

“As we strive to provide more certainty and diversify our export markets, forging closer partnerships like the one we enjoy with Mexico is how we can chart a new way forward with partners we can trust – and thus build a stronger and more resilient Canada.”

The talks are expected to cover trade and the larger relationship between Canada and Mexico. Champagne is also expected to meet with private sector leaders in a push to secure more stable markets for Canadian businesses.

The relationship between the two countries suffered in the past year, when Ontario Premier Doug Ford called on Canada to seek a unilateral trade deal with the United States – without Mexico – and accused the country of undercutting North American manufacturers.

Canadian business leaders say the upcoming talks show an effort to strengthen ties at a time when both countries are facing volatility from the United States.

“When we talk to Mexico, when we talk to their embassies in Canada, they are very eager to reset the relationship,” Catherine Fortin-LeFaivre, senior vice-president of International Policy and Global Partnerships at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, said Sunday.

While Canada faces new blanket 35 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods that aren’t covered under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), Mexico received a 90-day extension to continue trade talks with the U.S. before it sees blanket tariffs increase from 25 per cent to 35 per cent.

Last month, Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke over the phone, with the two leaders agreeing to improve trade collaboration between the two nations.

Carlo Dade, director of international policy at the University of Calgary’s School of Public Police, said Canada having open dialogue and strong ties with Mexico is “a good sign.”

“If we weren’t talking to Mexico, there would be reason to be concerned and worried,” Dade told CTV News.

He added that Canada hasn’t taken advantage of being in close proximity to a country like Mexico that has a higher per-capita GDP than China.

“The infrastructure is there, we have CPKC – Canada-Pacific Kansas City Railroad – so there’s (an) integrated North American railroad,” Dade said. “We have a trade agreement, we have decades of strong, strong, political and economic relations. The only missing factor has been a willingness of Canadian business to seize the opportunities.”

Mexico has been marked as a priority market to expand trade with by Export Development Canada. While it is already Canada’s third-largest trading partner, with nearly $56 billion dollars in two-way merchandise crossing the border in 2024, it represented just over one per cent of Canadian exports that year.

Fortin-LeFaivre said those relations will be crucial, particularly if the United States looks to move from a trilateral free trade agreement to two bilateral deals.

“It will be imperative that if that is happening that we have a very strong connection with Mexico directly, without the U.S. being there,” she said.

Friday, Carney reiterated Canada’s commitment to the CUSMA agreement while condemning Trump’s recent tariff increase.