Canada and Mexico Strengthen Agri-food Cooperation under the 2025-2028 Action Plan

MEXICO CITY, Oct. 16, 2025 /CNW/ - Canada's Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Heath MacDonald and the Mexico Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development, Julio Berdegué, met on Tuesday, October 14 to discuss bilateral relations and strengthen cooperation and trade ties between the two countries. 

This meeting is part of the Canada–Mexico Action Plan 2025–2028, announced on September 18, 2025, by Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, through which both governments reaffirmed their commitment to advancing a dynamic bilateral agenda aimed at achieving shared objectives over the next three years.

Through these actions, Canada and Mexico seek to continue strengthening their role as strategic partners in the global agri-food trade fostering a sustainable, inclusive, and growing sector that enabled agri-food trade between both countries to increase by 50% from 2018 to 2023.

During the meeting, both officials emphasized the strategic importance of the Canada–Mexico relationship in ensuring sustainable, resilient, and inclusive food systems. They highlighted progress in agri-food trade, scientific research, technological innovation, and sustainable rural development, as well as their shared interest in expanding technical and commercial cooperation.

Minister MacDonald recognized Mexico's key role as a strategic global partner and reinforced the opportunities to strengthen bilateral trade and technical cooperation, particularly in the grain, oilseeds, horticulture and animal protein sectors, while respecting each country's inspection and regulatory systems.

Secretary Berdegué underscored the need to strengthen integrated North American value chains, promote sustainable productivity, and reinforce cooperation mechanisms to address common challenges such as climate change, animal and plant health, and the transition toward low-emission agriculture. 

The Minister and Secretary emphasized the importance of science and technology collaboration and sharing of expertise. They committed to convening a meeting of scientists from both departments to identify areas of further collaboration and to report back within the next six months.

Mexico has accepted Canada's proposal to ease import requirements for eligible apples from Eastern Canadian Provinces starting in January 2026 and meaningful progress has been made on mutual laboratory and inspection recognition. In addition, Canada and Mexico have agreed to a new certificate that will provide new access for Canadian pet food that contains bovine ingredients to the Mexican market. 

Canada has also accepted to establish a joint working group to analyze and propose measures to support regulatory recognition in meat and seafood.

Both countries also agreed to advance the implementation of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Work Plan to expand market access and ensure competitive, safe, and high-quality products for consumers and processors. Additionally, Canada and Mexico agreed to adopt electronic certification for plant products such as canola and wheat and to continue to work towards expansion of this tool to other products to facilitate efficient trade for both countries.

Leveraging existing mechanisms such as the Canada-Mexico Consultative Committee and Agri-Business Working Group, they agreed to strengthen collaboration and information exchange focused on food security, competitiveness, trade expansion and diversification. 

Concurrent with the ministerial meeting, an industry-led Mexico–Canada Agri-business Dialogue with sector leaders from both countries was held to identify collaboration opportunities to increase bilateral trade and address challenges related to agri-food product facilitation in the short and medium term.

At the conclusion of the dialogue, Minister MacDonald and Secretary Berdegué met with participants to hear concrete recommendations to increase and facilitate bilateral agri-food trade in an effort to ensure a competitive, sustainable, and resilient agricultural sector in the face of global challenges.

These meetings take place in a context of renewed momentum in bilateral relations, following Prime Minister Mark Carney's visit to Mexico and President Claudia Sheinbaum's visit to Alberta during the G7 Summit, which presented new opportunities to deepen cooperation in sustainable agribusiness, and inclusive trade, while benefiting economies in both nations.

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SOURCE Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada