Next year's Mexico trade mission may be biggest ever launched by Canada

The union soldier regime is egg laying the groundwork for a team up Canada merchandise mission to Mexico next year that may become one of the largest it has ever deployed to a foreign country, says Cameron MacKay, the Canadian ambassador to Mexico. 

"In terms of the number of businesses who have applied to join the minister and come and look at export opportunities here, it'll be the biggest one we've ever done," he said.

MacKay said there is so much interest from the Canadian business community that there may not be enough room to accommodate all the applicants. 

"There's only so much logistical capacity," he said. "We really want to make sure that the businesses themselves are export-ready." 

The trade mission, which begins on Feb. 15 and runs until Feb. 20, will be focused on agriculture, advanced manufacturing, information communications technology, clean energy and creative industries. 

The itinerary includes stops in Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara.  

The preparations are unfolding against a backdrop of uncertainty over the fate of the three-decade-old trilateral trade deal between Canada, the U.S. And Mexico.

The deal began as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and is now called the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). 

CUSMA is going through a formal review process next year amid questions from the White House about the continued usefulness of the deal.

Prime Minister Mark Carney, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and U.S. President Donald Trump met for roughly 45 minutes on Friday during the FIFA 2026 World Cup draw. The international soccer tournament is being held in stadiums across North America.

"They talked about a wide range of things, not only FIFA, but surely trade came up as well," said MacKay. "I think the most important thing coming out of that is they all came out of the room smiling and agreeing to work together."

MacKay said Carney and Sheinbaum have developed a strong relationship and are in regular contact.

"They may speak again soon," he said. "They're quite like-minded in many regards."

MacKay said he doesn't believe that the trade tension between Canada and the U.S. — where talks remain on ice — has weakened Mexico's desire for the trilateral agreement to continue.

"Canada and Mexico will need each other more than we ever have, and we want to be working together and trying to solve problems together," said MacKay.

"This agreement, for more than 31 years, has supported hundreds of thousands of jobs all across North America. It's made each of our three economies, and the continental economy, more competitive than we would otherwise have been if we were each acting independently."

LeBlanc, who is one of Carney’s top cabinet ministers and holds the internal trade and intergovernmental affairs portfolios, was in Mexico last week and met with Secretary of the Economy Marcelo Ebrard, who is Mexico's lead cabinet minister on the CUSMA file.  

MacKay said LeBlanc's visit was also focused on building the foundation for next February's trade mission.

Mexico was Canada’s third-largest trading partner, after the U.S. And China, in 2024, according to Canadian government data. Canada was Mexico’s fifth-largest trading partner during the same period. 

The two countries recorded about $56 billion Cdn in the trade of goods in 2024, according to the data. This figure has grown dramatically since the signing of the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), when Canada-Mexico trade totalled just under $5 billion, according to federal government data.  

Export Development Canada has identified Mexico “as a priority market.” The country received about $46.5 billion in direct investment from Canada in 2024, a figure that has grown steadily as a result of CUSMA.

Today, Mexico is an integral part of the automotive industry’s supply chain, exporting vehicles and parts across the U.S. And Canadian borders. There are more than 60 Canadian car part companies operating there, employing about 30,000 Mexicans, according to Canadian data. 

Canada also makes up about 70 per cent of all foreign direct investment in Mexico’s mining sector. 

The Canadian and Mexican economies, which generate roughly $2.4 trillion US and $1.9 trillion in GDP, respectively, rank among the top 15 in the world. 

"With the pressure that's on the Canadian business community now, I would say there's never been a better opportunity and more motivation for Canadian business to think about expanding and looking at whether Mexico is a good market for them," said MacKay.

Reporter

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