Are Canada and Mexico set for a closer relationship?

Claudia Sheinbaum, presidential candidate of the ruling MORENA party, addresses her supporters after winning the election, in Mexico City, Mexico June 3, 2024.
Claudia Sheinbaum, presidential candidate of the ruling MORENA party, addresses her supporters after winning the election, in Mexico City, Mexico June 3, 2024.
REUTERS/Raquel Cunha

Earlier this week, Claudia Sheinbaum became the first female president-elect in Mexico – and the first woman elected to lead a North American country. Canada was briefly led by Prime Minister Kim Campbell in the early 1990s, but she was appointed ahead of the 1992 election, which she lost.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau didn’t waste any time getting in touch and offering a typically effusive – and perhaps strategic – congratulations. A readout shared by his office says that Trudeau and Sheinbaum spoke about “areas of common interest and the strong bilateral relations between Canada and Mexico” and “underscored the importance of growing our economies and delivering fairness for every generation through the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement.”

The subtext says more than the readout. As Donald Trump anxiety builds in Canada and concerns rise about the future of free trade between the US and Canada, experts are suggesting Canada and Mexico could be pushed closer together in the years to come, especially if a future Trump administration pursues a more aggressive protectionist agenda or attempts to bully Canada, Mexico, or both countries on trade, defense, and migration.

Sometimes a congratulations is just a congratulations, but in a world of shifting and uncertain geopolitical alliances and arrangements, sometimes it’s a way of opening a door.

More from GZERO Media

- YouTube

If China, Japan, and South Korea formed a united front, what kind of leverage would they have in negotiating against US tariffs? I think they are heading in that trajectory. The question is, will it be enough to keep Syria stable and away from descending into civil war? Why does Trump want to take Greenland? Ian Bremmer shares his insights on global politics this week on World In :60.

President Donald Trump, seen here on the South Lawn of the White House in February, is set to unveil his "Liberation Day" tariffs.

REUTERS/Craig Hudson

T-Day has arrived. On Wednesday afternoon, Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs on US trade partners will take effect immediately after a Rose Garden announcement.

A giant screen in Beijing shows news footage about the People's Liberation Army (PLA) joint army, navy, air and rocket forces drills around Taiwan on April 1, 2025.
REUTERS/Florence Lo

Beijing conducted one of the largest and most provocative military drills ever around the island -- but why now?

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a briefing, Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 28, 2025.
Ukrinform/ABACA via Reuters Connect

Vladimir Putin insists that Volodymyr Zelensky is no longer Ukraine’s legitimate president because his government has imposed martial law and delayed elections that were due in 2024.

President Donald Trump speaks from the Oval Office flanked by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on the day he signed executive orders for reciprocal tariffs, Feb. 13, 2025.
REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Details of a group chat between senior administration officials that leaked last week – the so-called Houthi PC small group – provide allies, adversaries, and watchers with revealing insights into the administration’s foreign policy blueprint. Lindsay Newman explores the takeaways.

Proud Source became a Walmart supplier in 2021. Today, its team has grown by 50%, and it's the largest employer in Mackay, ID. Walmart supports small businesses across the country, and nearly two-thirds of Walmart's product spend is on products made, grown, or assembled in America. It’s all a part of Walmart’s $350 billion investment in US manufacturing, which helps small businesses grow and supports US jobs. Learn more about Walmart’s commitment to US manufacturing.

As Microsoft celebrates its 50th anniversary, Vice Chair and President Brad Smith sits down with company cofounder Bill Gates for a special episode of Tools and Weapons. They discuss Gates’ new memoir, "Source Code: My Beginnings," reflect on Microsoft’s impact over the past five decades, and explore why the next phase of the digital revolution is shaping up to be the most exciting yet. Subscribe and find new episodes monthly, wherever you listen to podcasts.