Canadian ministers to discuss trade with Mexico's Sheinbaum

4/8/2025 11:52

Canadian government ministers are set to engage in discussions on trade with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and other government officials, The Globe and Mail reported on Sunday.



Canada's Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne and Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand are heading to Mexico City for two days of talks beginning on Tuesday, the report said, citing sources familiar with the planning.



The potential discussions come days after both Canada and Mexico failed to reach trade agreements with the United States by an August 1 deadline set by President Donald Trump.



On Thursday, Trump signed an executive order increasing tariffs on Canadian goods to 35% from 25% on all products not covered by the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA).



The White House cited what it said was Canada's failure to stop fentanyl smuggling and a failure to address U.S. concerns about trade barriers.



By contrast, Mexico secured a temporary reprieve. Sheinbaum secured a pause on new tariffs coming into effect and a 90-day period to work on a trade deal in a call with Trump. The agreement avoids the 30% tariffs that had been set to come into force on Friday deadline.