The Canada-Mexico Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

Canada and Mexico share a strong and prosperous partnership built on more than 80 years of diplomatic relations, over 30 years of free trade and 20 years of collaboration through the Canada-Mexico Partnership. This enduring foundation reflects deep economic integration, vibrant people-to-people ties, and close cooperation across a broad range of shared priorities. Recognizing the importance of sustained, high-level engagement, both governments have elevated and renewed their collaboration through the Canada-Mexico Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) – reinforcing a resilient, forward-looking bilateral relationship equipped to address emerging opportunities and challenges together.

In the context of this elevated relationship, Canada and Mexico have committed to a new 3-year Canada-Mexico Action Plan 2025-2028, which serves as a forward-looking roadmap to identify shared priorities and guide strategic actions across the bilateral relationship.

On this page

• Origins
• Coordination
• Current CSP Working Groups
• Working Group membership
• Working Group goals
• 2024 Summary Report

Origins

During his visit to Mexico in September 2025, Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, and the President of the United Mexican States, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, announced the elevation of the Canada-Mexico Partnership (CMP) to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP). The CSP aims to build a future that is more prosperous, secure, inclusive and sustainable for both countries. Within this new framework, Canada and Mexico committed to frequent meetings and communication at the highest level, and between ministers and secretaries, as part of a robust mechanism of ongoing dialogue and working groups that will drive the agreed-upon agenda forward.

Coordination

Similar to the previous mechanism, the CSP meets once a year, with meetings alternating between Canada and Mexico. The CSP is chaired by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs from Global Affairs Canada and the Undersecretary of North America from Mexico’s Secretariat of Foreign Affairs. Participation in the framework is determined by membership in one of the CSP’s 9 Working Groups. The Working Groups are not fixed. The CSP accommodates governments’ shifts of priorities within groups as well as the phasing out or creation of new groups.

Current CSP Working Groups

• Agri-business
• Creativity and Culture
• Energy
• Environment
• Forestry
• Human Capital
• Maritime Connectivity
• Mining
• Trade, Investment and Innovation 

Working Group membership

Working Groups bring together representatives from the relevant public and private sectors. Each Working Group is co-chaired by senior government officials from Canada and Mexico, and in some cases, by private sector leaders. Working Groups determine participation in their meetings and activities and may choose to include representatives from provincial governments, business and industry associations, academic communities and other organizations.

Working Group goals

Each Working Group develops its own goals and work plan in alignment with the Canada-Mexico Action Plan 2025-2028. Working Groups meet to advance their objectives on an as-needed basis. An annual CSP meeting brings together all Working Groups to take stock of progress, highlight results and set new priorities for the year to come.

2024 Summary Report

Canada celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Canada-Mexico Partnership in Ottawa on November 27 and 28, 2024. The celebration included a reception and an annual meeting. The meeting was attended in-person and online by over 100 participants from Canada and Mexico. Over the past 20 years, various thematic Working Groups have met under the CMP. They engage in dialogue and develop concrete initiatives in a broad range of mutual priorities. The CMP remains a key collaboration mechanism for Canada and Mexico’s thriving relationship.

Seven Working Groups participated in the 20th Annual CMP meetings:

1. Agri-business
2. Creativity and Culture
3. Environment
4. Foreign Policy
5. Forestry
6. Human Capital
7. Mining

The conversations and collaboration in all Working Groups emphasized the strong bond between the two countries. They reaffirmed their ability to work together when faced with common challenges.

Working Group highlights and commitments

Agri-business Working Group

The Working Group discussed 3 main themes:

1. building on the strength of the North American trade block
2. the importance of sustainable agriculture production and harnessing data and innovation as contributors for food security, economic, social and environmental development
3. discussions around labour and the importance of the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program.

Commitments included continuing to share data and information in several areas of mutual importance.

Creativity and Culture Working Group

The Working Group discussed Canada and Mexico’s mutual commitment to promoting and protecting Indigenous artisans and cultural expression. They committed to strengthening bilateral cooperation in the audio-visual sector. Mexico and Canada also reaffirmed their commitment to advance negotiations to modernize the Canada-Mexico Audiovisual Coproduction Agreement.

Environment Working Group

The Working Group discussed their alignment on the triple planetary crisis. They discussed efforts to manage climate change, biodiversity loss and the impacts of pollution. Participants committed to collaborating and integrating their work and strategies on conservation.

Forestry Working Group

The Working Group discussed alignment and continuing collaborations on wildland fire management and forest carbon accounting. Mexico and Canada committed to work together on a virtual event on forest fire management by Indigenous Peoples in 2025.

Human Capital Working Group

The Working Group celebrated its accomplishments, including the re-establishment of the Bi-National Roundtable on Indigenous and Intercultural Higher Education. They also reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing student and researcher mobility, and academic partnerships. The group proposed a 5-point action plan to continue to foster collaboration between Canada and Mexico through education.

Mining Working Group

The Working Group learned about Canada’s global leadership in water stewardship from a regulatory and industry lens. They heard from Mexican counterparts about new goals and changes within the Mexican mining industry under the new Mexican administration. Canada and Mexico committed to reinforcing responsible and sustainable mining practices in both countries.

Foreign Policy Working Group

The Working Group acknowledged and discussed the foreign policy priorities of Canada and Mexico, including regional and multilateral collaboration. They agreed on strengthening the bilateral relationship by working on shared interests. The Working Group also exchanged views on the Canada-Mexico Action Plan. They identified areas of further discussion and collaboration in:

• gender equality and women’s empowerment
• migration and mobility
• climate change
• indigenous knowledge

Outlook for 2025

Over the year, the National Co-chairs will review the mechanism to make sure the scope and content still matches the changing priorities between the two countries. Canada looks forward to meeting in Mexico in 2025 for the 21st annual meeting of the Canada-Mexico Partnership.