Ottawa, Canada - Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Friday held a phone call in which they spoke about how to prepare for trade negotiations with the US.
Carney and Sheinbaum spoke as both countries gear up to renegotiate the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), a crucial free trade pact that has been repeatedly threatened by President Donald Trump's administration.
Discussions are ramping up as a critical deadline approaches on July 1, by which time the three countries need to have approved the renewal of the existing agreement, renegotiated the details, or signaled their intention to exit. There is, however, an option to extend the process for up to 10 years.
The Canadian and Mexican leaders also spoke shortly after Sheinbaum met with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer ahead of the start of official talks in May.
Ottawa doesn't have a start date for negotiations, largely because of tensions with the US that continue to simmer.
"Earlier this year, a successful Team Canada trade mission to Mexico delivered more than 20 new partnerships and agreements," Carney wrote in a post on X.
"President Sheinbaum and I spoke today about building on that momentum - deepening our cooperation in critical minerals, energy, manufacturing, and more," he continued.
Canada and Mexico described as "close nations"
A handout released by the Prime Minister's Office revealed that the two leaders focused primarily on the USMCA review and "agreed to work in close coordination to address shared economic priorities and challenges, and deliver greater certainty, security, and prosperity for their peoples."
"Canada and Mexico are close nations and trading partners," Sheinbaum said after the call, in comments translated from Spanish.
"In the coming weeks, the team from the Secretariat of Economy will travel to follow up on cooperation between our countries."