Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum pledged to strengthen their partnership and coordinate their approach ahead of the upcoming review of the 2020 United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) with Washington. During Carney’s visit to Mexico, the leaders emphasized expanding economic and security ties while reaffirming their commitment to the trilateral trade agreement with the US.
Sheinbaum expressed optimism about continued collaboration based on mutual respect, stating, “Mexico and Canada will continue walking together, with mutual respect and with a certainty that cooperation is the path to overcome any challenge.” Carney highlighted North America’s economic strength, attributing it to trade cooperation between Canada and Mexico. He expressed confidence that adjustments could be made to enhance regional competitiveness.
Despite ongoing efforts by both leaders to negotiate side trade deals with US President Donald Trump, they made clear they were not rivals but partners moving forward together. Public consultations on the future of the USMCA have started as all three countries prepare for the formal review next year.
Canada and Mexico
Trade tensions with the US have intensified recently, with Trump imposing tariffs of 50 percent on Canadian steel and 25 percent on some Mexican pharmaceuticals. Mexico also faces a 25 percent “fentanyl tariff” aimed at curbing drug flow across its border. Trump’s aggressive rhetoric has strained relations, including controversial actions such as renaming the “Gulf of Mexico” the “Gulf of America” and authorizing military action against Mexican drug cartels—a move firmly rejected by Sheinbaum.
Canada and Mexico remain critical trading partners with the US, with Mexico as the largest and Canada the second-largest partner. Bilateral trade between Canada and Mexico was valued at $40.5 billion in 2024, while Canada-US trade reached $924.4 billion. Carney’s visit, the first by a Canadian prime minister to Mexico in eight years, was noted for excellent but improvable ties between the two nations. The visit signals a united front as they navigate challenges posed by the US administration’s trade policies.
