Canada Institute Director Laura Dawson recommends that Canada should prioritize trade partnerships with the U.S. and Mexico as an immediate strategy to advance their role in the regional supply chain. Instead of looking for free-trade deals in emerging, more distant markets, Canada should focus on trade and expanding markets closer to home. Canada’s NAFTA trade has been on the decline for the past 15 years, but Dawson makes the case for intensifying Canada’s trading relationship with Mexico. The Mexican market is thriving, Dawson says, with a large and growing consumer base, increasing enrollment in higher education and high economic growth rates that make it one of the most burgeoning emerging markets in the world. Although there are obstacles that stand in the way of a deeper trade relationship, such as disagreements over visa restrictions and the lack of political will, a closer trade engagement with Mexico holds a great deal of promise to provide the greatest rewards at the lowest risk. 

Laura's related article in the National Post.