Why Mexico
Canada’s fifth-largest trading partner.
Mexico is Canada’s top export destination in Latin America and its fifth-largest trading partner overall. Canadian firms exported $8.6 billion in goods there in 2024, and Canada was the third-largest foreign investor in Mexico that year, concentrated in mining, transport, manufacturing and financial services.
The infrastructure follows the trade. Export Development Canada has had an office in Mexico City since 2000 and in Monterrey since 2002, and has provided roughly CAD $55 billion of support to Canadian companies in Mexico over that period. In February 2026 the Team Canada Trade Mission brought more than 240 organisations and 370 delegates to Mexico, and produced 23 commercial agreements.
What none of that provides is someone in the market on your behalf. That is the gap we fill.
The funding
CanExport SMEs.
A Government of Canada program that reimburses half of what it costs to develop a new export market. The figures below are for the 2026–27 program year.
Do you qualify
Three tests.
Eligibility is decided by the program, not by us. These are the thresholds that rule most applicants in or out.
The company
Incorporated in Canada as a legal entity, LLP or cooperative, with an active CRA business number, between 3 and 500 full-time employees and CAD $300,000 to $100 million in annual revenue declared in Canada.
The market
Mexico counts as a target market if your sales there are currently under $100,000, or under 10% of your total domestic and international sales. Most Canadian firms looking at Mexico clear this easily.
The project
Up to five target markets per project. A project may target either the United States or other markets — never both. Total project value between CAD $20,000 and $100,000.
An advantage worth knowing
Mexico competes for the larger pool.
Because a CanExport project must target either the United States or other markets, and never both, the fund is effectively split. For 2026–27 the program has approximately $31 million in total, of which $3.1 million is set aside for US-targeted projects.
A Mexico project competes for the remaining ninety per cent. Decisions on non-US markets also come back faster — 60 business days against 90 for the United States.
If you are weighing the two markets and the economics are close, the funding is not close.
What it pays for
The eligible categories are the work we do.
This is the part most companies miss. CanExport does not only fund flights and trade show booths — it funds the market development itself, which is precisely what a representation engagement consists of.
| CanExport category | What it covers | How we deliver it |
|---|---|---|
| G | Market research, feasibility studies, lead generation, B2B facilitation | The core of a representation engagement |
| C | Adapting marketing tools for the target market | Translation of your website and collateral into Spanish |
| D | Interpretation services | Your dedicated Spanish-speaking agent |
| B | Trade event participation, excluding travel | We represent you at Mexican trade shows |
| A | International travel for meetings and events | We arrange the itinerary and the site visits |
| E | Creating contractual agreements | Distributor agreements, once we have vetted the distributor |
| F | Business, tax and legal advice | Local providers we identify and coordinate |
| H | Intellectual property protection in the target market | Mexican counsel we can introduce you to |
Timing
The intake is not open right now.
The 2026–27 application window closed at 12:00 ET on 31 August 2026, and the next intake has not yet been announced. Anyone telling you to apply today is not reading the program page.
That is an argument for starting now, not for waiting. A strong application needs a defined target market, evidence that you have researched it, a costed plan and named activities. That work takes weeks, and it is the same work you would do before entering Mexico with or without funding.
Companies that begin preparing when an intake opens are usually too late. Companies that already have the market research, the plan and the quotes in hand submit in days.
Beyond CanExport
Other Canadian support in Mexico.
Export Development Canada
Offices in Mexico City since 2000 and Monterrey since 2002. Bonding solutions that secure a contract guarantee without tying up cash, plus financing for the up-front costs of a large export order.
Business Development Bank of Canada
Financing built for exporters and companies expanding abroad — including direct investment in Canadian firms operating in Mexico.
Trade Commissioner Service
Canada’s in-market trade officers, and the body that administers CanExport. Free to use, and worth engaging before you apply.
Sekell Advisers is not a government agency and does not decide eligibility or awards. Program figures on this page are for the 2026–27 CanExport SMEs program year and are published by Global Affairs Canada; confirm current terms with the Trade Commissioner Service before relying on them.
Be ready when the window opens.
Tell us the product and we will tell you what a Mexico entry would involve, what a CanExport project around it might look like, and what needs to exist before you can apply.