- Canadian PM Mark Carney travels to China next week.
- Meeting with President Xi Jinping scheduled.
- Aims to diversify Canada's trade partnerships.
For the first time in more than eight years, a Canadian prime minister will travel to China. When they met last October on the fringes of the Asia-Pacific conference, Xi invited Carney.
Carney wants to quadruple Canadian exports outside of the US over the next ten years, which is why he is making this drive to interact with China. With over 75% of Canadian exports currently going to the US, this occurs in the midst of the USMCA review.
“We are forging new global partnerships to shift our economy from reliance on a single trading partner to one that is more resilient and better equipped to handle global shocks,”
Carney said in a statement.
Carney will travel to China from January 13 to January 17, and from January 19 to January 21, he'll be in Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum.
The alternate- biggest trading partner of Canada is China. Following the arrest of a elderly Huawei functionary by Canadian authorities under a repatriation arrangement with the United States, which led to China detaining two Canadian citizens, ties between Canada and China deteriorated in late 2018. In 2024, Canada intrigued with the United States to impose a 100% tariff on Chinese electric vehicles, batteries, and other goods, further straining relations. Chinese levies on Canadian meat, shellfish, and canola rose dramatically in retribution. In exchange for Canada removing its EV tariffs, China has offered to abolish some of these import duties.
A significant revision to the Law of General Import and Export Taxes (LIGIE), which went into effect in January, was approved by Mexico last month in an effort to boost domestic industry, address trade imbalances, and lessen dependency on imports.
Mexico presents the tariffs as a means of increasing domestic competitiveness, but political pressure from the US undoubtedly played a role in the decision. The Trump administration has voiced concerns about China's expanding influence and asked Mexico to slap levies on Chinese imports in order to avert US tariffs on Mexican products.
Mexico has little leeway to oppose US requests, according to Guillermo Barba, Chief Economist of Top Money Report, particularly as trade tensions escalate and industries like steel demand more robust protections against Asian producers. The additional tariffs are both an economic policy and a political reaction to US pressure and wider geopolitical factors because of Mexico's asymmetrical trading relationship with China, where it buys significantly more than it exports, which has heightened calls to protect local businesses.
Which ministers handle trade and agriculture on this trip?
No public adverts specify which Canadian ministers, if any, will handle trade and husbandry portfolios during Prime Minister Mark Carney's forthcoming January 2026 visit to China for addresses with President Xi Jinping.
Preparatory visits in December 2025 involved Global Affairs officers like Deputy Minister David Morrison and Parliamentary Secretary Kody Blois, alongside trade envoy Aaron Fowler, but barred press ministers. Previous tactfulness featured International Trade Minister Mary Ng and Industry Minister François- Philippe Champagne in Asia- Pacific places, yet neither is verified for Beijing.
Trade conversations on EVs, critical minerals, and canola likely involve Mary Ng( Export Diversification) or François- Philippe Champagne( Innovation), given ongoing USMCA tariff pressures. Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay or inferior counterpart Gulbahar Khatun could join for food security addresses, reflecting Carney's slimmed 24- member press prioritizing effectiveness over large delegations.