Canadian ministers to discuss trade in meetings with Mexican president and government officials

Kristy Kirkup
Ottawa
Published Yesterday

Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne and Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand are heading to Mexico City this week to hold bilateral meetings with government officials, just days after both countries failed to reach trade agreements with the U.S. by an Aug. 1 deadline set by President Donald Trump.

The senior cabinet ministers are also expected to meet with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, according to two sources familiar with the planning. The Globe and Mail is not identifying the sources because they are not authorized to speak publicly about the discussions.

The two days of talks, which will tackle trade and the broader relationship between the countries, begin Tuesday. The discussions are taking place at a time when Mr. Trump’s trade actions and rhetoric have raised questions about the future of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement and free trade generally.

. . .

After intensive talks between Ottawa and Washington did not reach a trade agreement by the deadline, the United States raised the blanket tariffs that Mr. Trump imposed on Canadian goods in March to 35 per cent from 25 per cent. These tariffs do not apply to products that meet the rules of origin outlined in the USMCA, which has allowed most Canadian exports to continue crossing the border tariff-free.

Mexico, however, was granted a 90-day extension to continue trade talks, without the U.S. immediately increasing tariffs. The extension was attributed by some to Mexico’s quiet diplomacy with the United States. It has stood in contrast with Canada’s more combative reaction, which includes some countertariffs.

Despite the setback, Canada is continuing to negotiate with the Trump administration to achieve some level of trade certainty.

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