Canada-Mexico relations
Encyclopedia
Canada–Mexico relations are relations between Canada
and the United Mexican States. Despite the fact that historic ties between the two nations have been coldly dormant, relations between Canada and Mexico have positively changed in recent years; seeing as both countries brokered the NAFTA
. Although on different sides of the Cold War Spectrum
(Canada was a member of NATO while Mexico was in the Non-Aligned Movement
, though Mexico later left; the two countries were, however, allies in World War II
.) Canada is represented by its embassy in Mexico City
, a Consulate General in Monterrey
and a consulate in Guadalajara
. Mexico is represented by its embassy in Ottawa
, Consulates-General in Montreal
, Toronto
and Vancouver
, and Consulates in Calgary
and Leamington
.
(NAFTA) economic and political ties between Mexico and Canada were "weak." Since NAFTA has come into force, the two countries have become much more important to each other, and often collaborate when dealing with the United States
.
Canada had just signed a free trade agreement with the United States in 1988
(FTA) when the US, under president George H. W. Bush
, began to negotiate another pact with Mexico under president Carlos Salinas de Gortari. The Canadian government under prime minister Brian Mulroney
feared that the advantages Canada had through the Canada-US FTA would be undermined, and asked to become a party to the US-Mexican talks. The result was that NAFTA replaced the previous Canada-US FTA.
Relations between the two governments are particularly strong at this moment. In October 2006, then president-elect
Felipe Calderón
visited Ottawa
, and Prime Minister
Stephen Harper
attended the inauguration
of the Mexican President. Both leaders are pro-market
conservatives
, Calderón of the National Action Party
and Harper of the Conservative Party
.
Starting from July 13, 2009 all Mexican citizens willing to enter Canada must have a visa in advance from any Canadian Embassy or consulate abroad, an action taken by the Canadian part due to increasing refugee petitions claimed by Mexican visitors which exceeded 9,500 in the first 6 months of the fiscal year 2009.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the United Mexican States. Despite the fact that historic ties between the two nations have been coldly dormant, relations between Canada and Mexico have positively changed in recent years; seeing as both countries brokered the NAFTA
North American Free Trade Agreement
The North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA is an agreement signed by the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The agreement came into force on January 1, 1994. It superseded the Canada – United States Free Trade Agreement...
. Although on different sides of the Cold War Spectrum
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
(Canada was a member of NATO while Mexico was in the Non-Aligned Movement
Non-Aligned Movement
The Non-Aligned Movement is a group of states considering themselves not aligned formally with or against any major power bloc. As of 2011, the movement had 120 members and 17 observer countries...
, though Mexico later left; the two countries were, however, allies in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.) Canada is represented by its embassy in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, a Consulate General in Monterrey
Monterrey
Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
and a consulate in Guadalajara
Guadalajara
Guadalajara may refer to:In Mexico:*Guadalajara, Jalisco, the capital of the state of Jalisco and second largest city in Mexico**Guadalajara Metropolitan Area*University of Guadalajara, a public university in Guadalajara, Jalisco...
. Mexico is represented by its embassy in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Consulates-General in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, and Consulates in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
and Leamington
Leamington, Ontario
Leamington is a municipality in Essex County, southern Ontario, Canada, and has a population of 31,113. It includes Point Pelee, the southernmost point of mainland Canada. It has a large H. J. Heinz Company factory and is known as the "Tomato Capital of Canada", with 4 km² of this crop in the...
.
History
Formal relations did not begin until 1944, at the height of the Second World War, which both countries participated in on the Allied side. Prior to the negotiations around the North American Free Trade AgreementNorth American Free Trade Agreement
The North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA is an agreement signed by the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The agreement came into force on January 1, 1994. It superseded the Canada – United States Free Trade Agreement...
(NAFTA) economic and political ties between Mexico and Canada were "weak." Since NAFTA has come into force, the two countries have become much more important to each other, and often collaborate when dealing with the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
NAFTA and since
Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement
The Free Trade Agreement was a trade agreement signed by Canada and the United States on October 4, 1988. The agreement, finalized by October 1987, removed several trade restrictions in stages over a ten year period, and resulted in a great increase in cross-border trade...
(FTA) when the US, under president George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
, began to negotiate another pact with Mexico under president Carlos Salinas de Gortari. The Canadian government under prime minister Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
feared that the advantages Canada had through the Canada-US FTA would be undermined, and asked to become a party to the US-Mexican talks. The result was that NAFTA replaced the previous Canada-US FTA.
Relations between the two governments are particularly strong at this moment. In October 2006, then president-elect
President-elect
An -elect is a political candidate who has been elected to an office but who has not yet been sworn in or officially taken office. These may include an incoming president, senator, representative, governor and mayor.Analogously, the term "designate" An -elect is a political candidate who has been...
Felipe Calderón
Felipe Calderón
Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa is the current President of Mexico. He assumed office on December 1, 2006, and was elected for a single six-year term through 2012...
visited Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, and Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
attended the inauguration
Inauguration
An inauguration is a formal ceremony to mark the beginning of a leader's term of office. An example is the ceremony in which the President of the United States officially takes the oath of office....
of the Mexican President. Both leaders are pro-market
Free market
A free market is a competitive market where prices are determined by supply and demand. However, the term is also commonly used for markets in which economic intervention and regulation by the state is limited to tax collection, and enforcement of private ownership and contracts...
conservatives
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
, Calderón of the National Action Party
National Action Party (Mexico)
The National Action Party , is one of the three main political parties in Mexico. The party's political platform is generally considered Centre-Right in the Mexican political spectrum. Since 2000, the President of Mexico has been a member of this party; both houses have PAN pluralities, but the...
and Harper of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
.
Migration
There are thousands of temporary workers who go to Canada from Mexico each year, and many immigrate permanently as well. Recent changes to the immigration Act would allow many to apply for permanent residency after a two-year period which was not the case before.Starting from July 13, 2009 all Mexican citizens willing to enter Canada must have a visa in advance from any Canadian Embassy or consulate abroad, an action taken by the Canadian part due to increasing refugee petitions claimed by Mexican visitors which exceeded 9,500 in the first 6 months of the fiscal year 2009.
Trade
In 2006 Mexico was the fifth-ranked destination for Canadian exports (1%) and third-ranked source of imports (4%).See also
- Mexican Embassy, Ottawa
- Canada-Latin America relationsCanada-Latin America relationsCanada-Latin America relations are relations between Canada and Latin America. This includes the bilateral ties between Canada and the individual Latin American states, plurilateral ties between Canada and any group of those states, or multilateral relations through groups like the Organization of...
- Seasonal Agricultural Workers ProgramSeasonal Agricultural Workers ProgramThe Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program is a Canadian government program is intended to allow workers from Mexico and the Caribbean to immigrate to Canada for temporary support during the planting and harvesting seasons, when there is no help available from within Canada.The program is available...
http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/workplaceskills/foreign_workers/ei_tfw/sawp_tfw.shtml