Canadian minister hails 'productive' Mexico meeting as US tariffs loom
MEXICO CITY/TORONTO (Reuters) -Top Canadian ministers held a "productive" meeting with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and some of her top officials during a visit to Mexico City on Tuesday, Canada's top diplomat said, as the two nations navigate a volatile tariff environment.
Mexico's economy minister had signaled earlier in the day that talks would cover the two countries' policies in response to a volley of tariff announcements from U.S. President Donald Trump. The three countries have tightly bound economies.
Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand said in a post on X that she and Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne had spoken with Sheinbaum to reaffirm bilateral ties.
Anand also met with her Mexican counterpart Juan Ramon de la Fuente, she said.
"These discussions with the president and members of her government advanced key shared priorities in terms of economic growth, security and trade diversification," she added.
Mexico's Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said earlier in the day that he was also set to speak with Champagne about the two countries' experiences in dealing with tariffs imposed on goods shipped to the United States.
"They want to know how Mexico is getting these results," Ebrard told journalists.
Mexico was able to avoid 30% tariffs on its shipments to the U.S. set to come into force last week, securing a 90-day pause to work on a trade deal with the government of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, Trump slapped a 35% duty on many goods coming from Canada, hiking the rate from a 25% fentanyl-related tariff imposed earlier this year.
"We're going to exchange experiences," Ebrard said. "They're paying a 35% tariff, and Mexico isn't."
Mexico is still subject to the previously imposed 25% fentanyl tariffs, though goods sent under the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade agreement - which are most of them - are exempt.
Trump has said the U.S. would continue to levy a 50% tariff on Mexican steel, aluminum and copper and a 25% tariff on Mexican autos and on the non-USMCA-compliant goods.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum met with the Canadian finance minister, Francois-Philippe Champagne, as well as Foreign Minister Anita Anand, earlier in the day at Mexico's national palace.
"We're strengthening the relationship between our countries," she said in a post on X.
(Reporting by Kylie Madry and Diego Ore in Mexico City and Ryan Patrick Jones in Toronto; Editing by Sarah Morland and Stephen Coates)
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