OTTAWA – The minister in charge of Canada-U.S. trade is leading a large delegation to Mexico next week as Ottawa looks to diversify its trade links in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs and threats to abandon a critical continental trade pact.
Dominic LeBlanc will be in Mexico from Sunday to Friday with hundreds of delegates representing Canadian businesses, industry associations and partners from across the country.
“The strong and long-standing partnership between Canada and Mexico is critical to the strength of the North American economy,” LeBlanc said in a Friday news release.
“This trade mission will build on that strength by deepening our collaboration in key sectors and showcasing what we know to be true: Canada has what the world needs.”
The news release said the mission’s goal is to strengthen commercial ties and explore new opportunities with Mexico. It will focus on areas like advanced manufacturing, agriculture, clean energy and communication technologies.
LeBlanc is set to play a key role in the upcoming review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade, better known as CUSMA.
Trump has called the trade agreement irrelevant and said it may have served its purpose. Members of his trade team have also spread uncertainty over whether the president could pull the United States out of the trade agreement.
United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has said he’d be open to doing separate agreements with Canada and Mexico.
CUSMA has shielded Canada and Mexico from the worst impacts of Trump’s tariffs. The president boosted duties on Canada to 35 per cent last August, but those tariffs don’t apply to goods compliant under the trade deal.
Other Canadian industries like steel, aluminum and automobiles are still being slammed by Trump’s separate Section 232 tariffs.
Ottawa and Mexico City have both indicated they intend to stay in CUSMA but officials in both countries are preparing for negotiations.
LeBlanc has said he has no reason to believe the Trump administration is preparing to tear up the free trade agreement. He has said his Mexican counterparts share the same view.
Next week’s mission to Mexico comes after LeBlanc and Prime Minister Mark Carney’s September visit, when they launched a comprehensive strategic partnership with Mexico.
“Together, we will make North America the most competitive, resilient, and prosperous economic region in the world,” LeBlanc said in Friday’s news release.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 13, 2025.
