Canada, Mexico to Strengthen Agricultural Ties

The Canadian Minister of Agriculture will visit Mexico to strengthen agricultural cooperation between the two countries. During his trip, he will hold meetings in Mexico City and Guadalajara with federal authorities, agri-food sector leaders, and business representatives.

Heath MacDonald, Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, will lead an official mission to Mexico from Oct. 14 to 17, 2025, aimed at strengthening agricultural cooperation and expanding bilateral ties under the Canada-Mexico Action Plan 2025–2028.

The visit follows up on commitments made during the September meeting between Mark Carney, Canadian Prime Minister and Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexican President, where both leaders announced a joint plan focused, among other priorities, on building more opportunities for trade and investment,  from energy and infrastructure to critical minerals and agriculture. 

In Mexico City, Minister MacDonald will meet with Julio Berdegué, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER), and Javier Calderón, Director, National Service for Agrifood Health, Safety, and Quality (SENASICA), to discuss topics related to the diversification and growth of agri-food trade between the two countries.

Later, MacDonald will travel to Guadalajara, where he will meet with business leaders and local producers to promote Canadian agricultural and agri-food products, while identifying opportunities for investment and technical cooperation. He will also take part in activities leading up to the Trilateral Agriculture Agreement (USMCA), which will bring together representatives from Canada, the United States, and Mexico later that week.

“Canada and Mexico share a strong partnership shaped by years of collaboration and more than three decades of free trade. This trip is about further strengthening our ties, developing relationships, and creating opportunities that will drive growth and prosperity in both of our nations,” MacDonald emphasized.

In August, representatives from both countries’ sanitary agencies met to discuss new strategies to streamline safety and health protocols and advance the opening of new products for trade, benefiting producers and consumers in both nations.

As part of this effort, both sides aim to expand the exchange of plant products such as tomatoes, avocados, raspberries, strawberries, cucumbers, lemons, limes, blueberries, guavas, ataulfo mangoes, mangosteens, nuts, asparagus, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, onions, squash, watermelon, grapes, lettuce, carrots, spinach, cantaloupe, and parsley. They also seek to broaden trade in bone-in and boneless fresh beef; fresh, chilled, or frozen pork; live poultry, poultry meat and by-products; as well as pet food.

Trade and investment relations between Mexico and Canada have grown steadily since 1994. Canada is currently Mexico’s third-largest trading partner after the United States and Japan, while Mexico holds the same position for Canada after the United States and China.

In 2021, Mexico’s agri-food exports to Canada were valued at US$966 million. The main products exported included avocados, cigarettes, beef, mangoes, sweet biscuits, cocoa preparations, food preparations, tequila, unroasted coffee, chili peppers, and bell peppers. The primary imports from Canada that year were canola seeds, pork, wheat, canola oil, beef, potatoes, malt, wafers, casings, bladders, stomachs, and canary seed.