The USMCA has sustained millions of jobs and investments in recent decades and made the North American economies more competitive than they would be if the Mexican, US and Canadian markets acted separately, said Cameron MacKay, Canadian ambassador to Mexico.
“This agreement has maintained hundreds of thousands of jobs throughout North America for more than 31 years, as well as making our three economies, and the continental economy, more competitive than we would have been if we had each acted on our own,” said the diplomat ahead of a strategic trade mission to Mexico in February 2026.
The current economic environment offers “the best opportunity and motivation” for more Canadian companies to consider expanding into Mexico, declared the Canadian government representative.
“Canada and Mexico will need each other more than ever and we want to work together and try to solve problems together,” commented the diplomat.
Canadian Minister Dominic LeBlanc held a meeting in Mexico City last week with Marcelo Ebrard, Secretary of Economy and person responsible for issues related to the trade agreement.
The officials advanced the bilateral agenda and prepared Canada’s trade mission, scheduled for February of next year.
Canada’s trade mission aims to become one of the largest delegations sent by Ottawa abroad.
The meeting, which will be led by Minister Dominic LeBlanc, will have a strategic focus on agriculture, technology and energy.
The initiative is organized in a key context towards the review of the USMCA in 2026, which reinforces the importance of strengthening bilateral economic integration.
The Canadian ambassador to Mexico confirmed that hundreds of companies requested to join the mission, a number that exceeds the available logistical capacity.
He explained that the objective is to ensure the participation of companies that are truly prepared to export and take advantage of the opportunities in Mexico.
“We really want to make sure that companies are prepared to export,” he said
Mexico was Canada’s third trading partner in 2024, while Canada ranked fifth among Mexico’s partners. Both economies are among the 15 largest in the world, with GDP of 2.4 trillion dollars (Canada) and 1.9 trillion dollars (Mexico).
Bilateral trade has shown growing integration: in 1994, with the beginning of NAFTA, it amounted to less than 5 billion dollars; by 2024, it will reach around 56 billion Canadian dollars.
Diplomatic perspective
The cooperation is developed under the Canada-Mexico Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, launched in September 2025 and guided by the Mexico-Canada Action Plan (PAMC).
MacKay indicated that these mechanisms strengthen sectors that generate direct employment in both countries, especially in manufacturing, mining and energy.
In Mexico, Canadian direct investment reached 46.5 billion dollars, benefited by the USMCA framework.
In the automotive sector, more than 60 Canadian auto parts companies operate in the country and generate around 30 thousand jobs, a key figure for the regional supply chain.
In mining, Canada maintains leadership as the main foreign investor, concentrating close to 70 percent of foreign investment in exploration and production.
In energy, investment exceeds 10.3 billion dollars, including 4.1 billion destined for renewable energy, which boosts jobs in infrastructure and energy transition.
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