In 2020, Mexico and Canada celebrated 76 years of diplomatic relations. The bilateral relationship, government dialogue, and business-academic-cultural ties were stimulated at the time thanks to NAFTA’s creation. Today, the relationship is strategic, broad and deep.

Canada is currently our third largest trading partner and fourth investment country in Mexico. It is also the second country of origin for tourists visiting Mexico.

Mexico’s relations with Canada are, for geographic, economic and demographic reasons, one of the broadest and deepest links in Mexico’s international network.

Political dialogue is intense and frequent, which is reflected in the various daily meetings held by both the President of Mexico and the Prime Minister of Canada, as well as other members of the federal cabinet.

An iconic program for the bilateral relationship is the Temporary Agricultural Workers (TAWP) program, which began in 1974 to meet the demand for labor in the Canadian agricultural sector.

Canada is the fourth source of Foreign Direct Investment for Mexico, just below the United States, Netherlands and Spain. The North American Free Trade Agreement has fueled the growth of capital flows.

According to the estimates of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in its report for the year 2019, Mexico stood out as the second most competitive economy in Latin America. Globally, Mexico is estimated in the 48th place.

Some of the most important Mexico strenghts are.

The three Canadian industries—primary metal manufacturing, chemical manufacturing, and machinery manufacturing—have the innovative products, demand and capacity to take advantage of the Mexican economy, despite Mexico’s having a clear cost advantage. An additional eleven industries are well positioned to grow their presence in Mexico.

Mexico is particularly attractive to Canadian companies because of the existing free trade agreement, NAFTA, and because Mexico, unlike Canada, has a young population; the median age in Mexico is 26 years, in Canada 42 years.

At the moment, the most successful exporters to Mexico are the auto industry, agriculture, and the manufacturers of primary metal, chemical, food and machinery products. These six industries accounted for 75 per cent of exports to Mexico in 2015, with annual shipments ranging from $500 million to $1.2 billion.

There are two major trade agreements that have created stronger economic ties between Canada and Mexico. The Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA, also known as T-MEC or USMCA) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) provide Canada and Mexico with preferential access to each other’s markets.

The best sectors for business between Canada and Mexico have the highest growth potential, policy openness and leverage Canadian strengths.

The best sectors for business between Canada and Mexico have the highest growth potential, policy openness and leverage Canadian strengths.

Top sectors include:

• AEROSPACE
• MINING
• OIL & GAS
• AGRICULTURE, FOOD & BEVERAGES
  

A favorable trade environment

• According to the 2019 World Investment Report, Mexico is the 12th largest recipient of Foreign Direct Investment.
• According to the Doing Business ranking, ranking economies from 1 to 189 according to the ease of doing business there, Mexico is the 60th easiest country to do business in; in comparison, Canada is ranked 23rd.
  

Partnership (TIPAT) and the Mexico-Canada Alliance.

§ Being a member of the T-MEC, and due to its geographical proximity, Canada represents an important opportunity for Mexico in the diversification of exports. The close relationship between Mexico and Canada is the result of the 26 years of NAFTA, which increased trade, investment flows and cooperation.

§ The representation of the Ministry of Economy in Canada is located in the commercial attaché at the Mexican Embassy in Canada, in Ottawa, the capital. Likewise, the Embassy of Mexico and the consulates have commercial and investment promotion areas, located in Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Leamington. Mexico also has honorary consulates in Quebec, Manitoba, Nova Scotia; and, Newfoundland and Labrador.

§ According to data from the Ministry of Economy of the Government of Mexico, in 2020 Canada was Mexico's fifth commercial partner and the second destination for exports.

§ In 2020, the provinces of Quebec, Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario concentrated 93.31% of the bilateral trade between Mexico and Canada, the latter registering the largest trade in the automotive sector with Canada. Canada's main imports from Mexico in 2020 were concentrated in motor vehicles and their parts, electronic and electrical equipment and parts, consumer goods, agricultural, fishery and intermediate food products, machinery, industrial equipment and parts, mineral products, metallic and non-metallic, aircraft and other transport equipment and part.

§ Consumption and purchasing habits of the Canadian consumer:

-If the quality is guaranteed, the price is not a determining element at the time of purchase.

-Awareness about sustainable consumption and purchase of organic products in ecological packaging.

-Demanding in customer service and after-sales.

-Elements of social responsibility, ethical and sustainable production is important in the purchase.

-Due to multiculturalism, the market is open to ethnic and exotic products.La

· Platforms and resources designed to support and guide the export process:

According to the 2019 World Investment Report, Mexico is the 12th largest recipient of Foreign Direct Investment.

According to the Doing Business ranking, ranking economies from 1 to 189 according to the ease of doing business there, Mexico is the 60th easiest country to do business in; in comparison, Canada is ranked 23rd.

• The Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CanCham) is an organization representative that unites and animates the entrepreneurial community Mexican - Canadian and whose vision is to be recognized by the professional community, in Canada and Mexico.
  
  
• The Chamber’s mission is to accelerate and encourage the development of economic and commercial relations between Canadian and Mexican companies. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Monterrey, Nuevo León, has had a presence in the region since 1997.
  
  
• The state of Nuevo León possess a variety of strategic clusters based on the triple helix model - state, industry and academy - which were established to impulse the synergy between government, private sector and academy.
  
  

1. AEROESPACIAL
2. LIGHTING AND ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
3. AUTOMOTIVE
4. COMMUNICATION SERVICES AND EQUIPMENT
5. POWER GENERATION AND TRANSMISSION
6. HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM
7. AGRICULTURAL INPUTS AND SERVICES
8. LOGISTICS
9. DERIVED CHEMICALS
10. CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
11. BUSINESS SUPPORT
12. TECHNOLOGY
13. HEAVY MACHINERY PRODUCTION AND TECHNOLOGY

Mexican Startups

> Polybion. It is a startup that produces biomaterials that allow different companies to have much more natural options to pack or produce materials; starting with just a pilot plant and expanding this year to a medium-scale production plant. (www.polybion.mx)

> ECGlove Soluciones kenko. The company that created ecglove is a Mexican company that has a space for technological innovation dedicated to improving health processes in Latin America. We want to make ECG technology as simple and practical as an oximeter, baumanometer or stethoscope. (https://www.ecglove.com/)

>Xilinat. 100% natural, healthy, light and Mexican sweetener. The only ingredient is xylitol, which is obtained from corn cob, a raw material that is purchased from producer families. They transform the residue into a natural sweetener through an environmentally friendly process, reducing air pollution. (https://xilinat.com/)

> Prothesia. Is a startup dedicated to software design and 3D manufacturing focused on the health area that aims to improve the life and experience of the patient. Currently they launched Prothesia Inc, a site that is set up specifically to do mass sampling of COVID-19, that is, a large number of tests in a short period of time. (https://www.prothesia.com/)

> Cuéntame. Promotes a mentally healthy workplace, supporting organizations to create healthy emotional work spaces, giving employees the technological tools to have better stress management and be their best version. (https://sicuentame.com/)

> Greendfluidics. Is a Mexican startup founded by young visionary scientists who seek to impact and help in the regeneration and environmental health of the planet, for this reason we work on the development of sustainable technologies that provide energy efficiency and avant-garde design to green buildings. (https://greenfluidics.com)

> Biobotix. Virtual Therapeutic Assistant that combines a web platform with wearable sensors, helping patients to monitor physical therapies. (https://biobotixlabs.com/)

> Thermy. We create an accurate, non-invasive, portable and 100% safe complementary study for the early detection of breast cancer, using thermography and artificial intelligence. (https://thermy.mx/)

> Scintia. Facilitates the way to teach, and innovate in synthetic biology in Latin America. We started generating value to break the gap in educational quality in the region, offering an educational program based on the STEM model for the teaching of biotechnology. (https://www.scintia.com/)

> Griyum. Generates opportunities for nutrition and economic development through the consolidation of agricultural production of edible insects. (https://www.griyum.com.mx/)

Scholarships and supports for Mexican students

Consulate of Canada in Mexico:

Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program (https://www.educanada.ca/scholarships-bourses/can/institutions/elap-pfla.aspx?lang=eng), It is a scholarship to study an academic semester in Canada, for undergraduate and master's level students. The main requirement of this scholarship is a collaboration agreement of understanding between the local institution and a Canadian institution. TEC DE MONTERREY has several agreements with Canadian Universities, from which they could take advantage of them to apply for scholarship.

Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (https://vanier.gc.ca/en/home-accueil.html), It is a scholarship to complete all doctoral studies in Canada. It is a 100% scholarship, 50,000 Canadian dollars a year for 3 years are provided to the students who are credited with this scholarship.

Banting Post-doctoral Fellowship (https://banting.fellowships-bourses.gc.ca/en/home-accueil.html),It is a scholarship for post-doctoral studies. $ 70,000 per year is provided for up to 2 years to student recipients of this scholarship.

Government of Mexico:

AMEXCID (https://www.gob.mx/amexcid/acciones-y-programas/oferta-para-mexicanos) Disseminate the calls for scholarships that foreign governments offer to Mexicans.

Scholarships of Excellence of the Government of Mexico for Foreigners 

(https://www.gob.mx/amexcid/acciones-y-programas/becas-para-extranjeros-2978)

Resident Type Tuition Program of the Government of the Province of Québec AUTUMN 2021 

(https://www.gob.mx/amexcid/documentos/programa-de-colegiaturas-tipo-residente-del-gobierno-de-la-provincia-de-quebec-otono-2021)

INFORMATIVE CARD 

(https://www.gob.mx/cms/uploads/attachment/file/445451/Tarjeta_informativa_Quebec_2019.pdf) “Programa de Colegiatura Tipo Residente del Gobierno de la Provincia de Québec”.