(Ottawa) Two influential ministers from the Carney government concluded a large two -day mission in Mexico on Wednesday in order to forge closer ties with members of the administration of the president Claudia Sheinbaum.
“We are neighbors, but we have to get to know each other a little more,” dropped the Minister of Finance Tuesday evening, François-Philippe Champagne, at a press conference at the Canada Embassy in Mexico City with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anita Anand.
The ministers met the president of Mexico for almost an hour in order to make an overview of bilateral issues, but also to approach the future of free trade on the North American continent, implicated by the trade war that President Donald Trump has since returned to the White House in January.
They were also able to speak with elected officials from the Legislative Assembly and business people. Also on the discussion menu: the strengthening of supply chains, access to critical minerals, energy security, the potential of artificial intelligence and the increase in foreign investments.
“I have been taking care of international relations for almost a decade. It was one of the discussions that I had that was the deepest, which was very strategic, which allowed us to also discover mutual interests that we must continue to work, ”also explained Minister François-Philippe Champagne.
It’s a bit to take our relationship with Mexico to its full potential. Mexico offers many opportunities.
François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Finance of Canada
A sign that there will be consequences for this ministerial mission, Prime Minister Mark Carney will carry out an official visit to Mexico in the coming weeks, confirmed his office on Wednesday. Obviously, there is a rapprochement between Canada and Mexico at a time when the United States tackles their two business partners on the continent. And this occurs when Canada is preparing for the difficult talks scheduled for next year to revise the Canada-US-Mexico (ACEUM) agreement.
It must be said that a cold had settled between the two countries for 18 months, after the government of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had announced the return of visas for Mexican nationals, with a few exceptions, in order to counter the wave of migrants in an irregular situation which gave serious headaches to the Legault government and which poisoned relations between Quebec and Ottawa.
A few months ago, the Prime Minister of Ontario, Doug Ford, had caused the anger of President Sheinbaum to say that Canada had to drop Mexico and hasten to conclude a bilateral free trade agreement with the United States in order to escape Donald Trump’s pricing salvés.
Photo Nathan Denette, Canadian Press Archives
Ontario Prime Minister Doug Ford
Mr. Ford then accused Mexico of being “a door diverted for the importation of cars, auto parts and other China products in the Canadian and American markets”, in particular by refusing to impose customs duties of 100 % on Chinese electric vehicles.
The president of Mexico had been little impressed by the release of Doug Ford. She stressed that during the previous negotiations during Donald Trump’s first term to renegotiate the North American free trade agreement, Mexico had been united in Canada.
“Remember that when the agreement was signed, Mexico supported Canada,” she said, recalling that her country had clearly dismissed the idea of signing an agreement only with the United States.
Broken pots that Mark Carney is trying to repair.
Since he took control of the government, the Prime Minister spoke four times with the president of Mexico. Better still, he invited her to participate in the last G7 summit, which took place in June in Kananaskis, Alberta.
Photo Darryl Dyck, Canadian Press Archives
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, along with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum at the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alberta
As a gift, the president gave her a pretty soccer ball made by hand by Huichols craftsmen.
Diplomatic warming has intensified since the G7 summit, according to Minister Anita Anand.
Will the Prime Minister’s next visit to Mexico City seal a strategic alliance between the two countries in anticipation of next year’s talks that will focus on the revision of the ACEUM?
Behind the scenes, this is the objective of the Carney government.
Because if Canada has been in Donald Trump’s price line for six months, it has still avoided the worst so far because Canadian exports that comply with ACEUM remain exempt from customs duties.
In the Passenment Book prepared for the new Minister of International Trade, manner Sidhu, senior officials highlight the importance for Canada and Mexico to preserve the achievements of ACEUM.
“Mexico and Canada are the two largest trade partners in the United States, with a significant integration of supply chains and the economy in key sectors such as the automotive industry and the food industry. Although Canada and Mexico are important bilateral business partners for each other, key commercial dynamics for each country lies in their respective relations with the United States. In 2024, more than 80 % of Mexico exports and 77 % of Canada’s exports were intended for the United States, “it is said in the impact book.
“ACEUM is the basis of integrated trade and investment in North America and has contributed to fueling robust growth in North American intraregional trade, including after the shocks of the world pandemic. In 2023, the trilateral trade in goods amounted to 1.9 billion of dollars, an increase of 30.4 % (448.5 billion dollars) since the entry into force of the ACEUM, “it was also underlined in the document.
Preserving the achievements of ACEUM is the top priority for the Carney government. Getting closer to Mexico becomes an essential asset in this approach which is already on a perilous.
With the collaboration of William Leclerc, The press
