Premier Danielle Smith is embarking on a three-day visit to Mexico, starting Sunday, to enhance trade relations in agriculture and energy. This trip comes as the federal government seeks to mend its own ties with Mexico amid ongoing trade tensions.

Smith's office announced the visit on Friday, emphasizing the goal of identifying investment and trade opportunities between Alberta and Mexico. The premier aims to promote Alberta as a strong trade partner, highlighting its capabilities in agrifood, forestry, technology, tourism, and manufacturing.

"Alberta’s government has made a commitment to Albertans that we will pursue new opportunities, diversify our markets and secure new trade and investment ties around the globe, and my mission to Mexico is this commitment in action," Smith stated. She added, "By working together, we have an opportunity to generate jobs, stability and prosperity for our people. While in Mexico, I intend to build new relationships and strengthen existing ones to do just that."

This marks the first official visit to Mexico by an Alberta premier since 2019. In 2024, bilateral trade between Alberta and Mexico reached nearly $2.9 billion. Alberta exported approximately $785.8 million worth of goods, including meat, oil seeds, plastics, and cereals, to Mexico. Conversely, Alberta imported around $2.1 billion in goods from Mexico, primarily machinery, iron, steel, and fruits.

During her visit, Smith plans to meet with Canada’s ambassador to Mexico, Cameron Mackey, on Monday. She will also engage with Mexican government officials and representatives from Canadian and Mexican companies in the energy, food, and financial sectors. Additional meetings are scheduled for Tuesday before her return to Alberta.

Miguel Cortines, president of the Casa Mexico Foundation in Calgary, noted the influx of talent from Mexico to Calgary, suggesting that this is an opportune moment for Alberta to strengthen its relationship with Mexico. "I think, for Canada, Mexico represents a very important market to diversify on alternative markets," he said. Cortines expressed the importance of maintaining a trilateral relationship among the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, stating, "All the economies are very interconnected."

Last week, Canada’s foreign and finance ministers also visited Mexico, following Prime Minister Mark Carney's commitment to repair bilateral relations. Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand described the situation as an "all-hands-on-deck moment for us to reignite the bilateral relationship."

Anand and Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne held discussions with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and other officials, focusing on infrastructure development and energy security. Diego Marroquín, a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, remarked that the visit is part of Canada’s strategy to diversify its trade connections with Mexico, while also addressing previous tensions in the relationship.