Brazil plans trade mission to Toronto in September as negotiations restart
08/26/2025
Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira and Canada’s Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu announced on Monday (25) the resumption of negotiations for a possible free trade agreement between Canada and Mercosur, the South American bloc currently chaired by Brazil. As Valor had reported, Canada is one of Brazil’s top bets to diversify its export markets in response to the tariff hikes imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
As part of this effort, Mr. Vieira confirmed a Brazilian business mission is scheduled for Toronto from September 10 to 12 to strengthen commercial ties. A face-to-face meeting between lead negotiators from both sides is also planned for October in Brazil to advance the talks.
According to Brazil’s Foreign Ministry, Mr. Sidhu will remain in the country until Wednesday (27), with a visit to São Paulo’s industry federation FIESP on Tuesday. In a joint statement with Mr. Vieira, the Canadian minister said he had also met with Vice President and Minister of Development, Industry and Trade Geraldo Alckmin, and with Energy and Mines Minister Alexandre Silveira.
Mr. Vieira said the reopening of talks followed discussions held in June between President Lula and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Alberta.
He emphasized that both Brazil and Canada are concerned about “the rise of trade restrictions” and measures that “distort legitimate trade flows without technical justification” while weakening the principles that should guide such relations. He stressed that the two countries share the goal of strengthening the rules-based multilateral trading system, with the World Trade Organization (WTO) playing a central role.
Mr. Sidhu noted that at a time when rules-based trade “is under threat,” Canada is seeking partners with a “like-minded” approach to preserve this framework.
The U.S. has slapped Brazil with a 50% tariff, with limited exceptions, while Canada faces a general 35% tariff on its exports, also with several exemptions. Canada is pursuing its own bilateral trade deal with Washington.
Trade ties
Mr. Vieira highlighted that economic relations between Brazil and Canada are already significant. In 2024, Canada ranked as Brazil’s ninth-largest export market and moved up to seventh place in the first seven months of 2025.
Bilateral trade between the two countries reached $9.1 billion in 2024, with Brazilian exports to Canada totaling $6.3 billion, up nearly 10% from the previous year. Canada is also the 11th-largest foreign investor in Brazil, with direct investments amounting to $28 billion.
Diversifying partnerships
Beyond Canada, Brazil is pursuing negotiations with the United Arab Emirates and engaging in dialogue with India and Vietnam. Vietnam, in particular, has been identified by President Lula as a potential partner for a Mercosur free trade agreement.
To advance these efforts, the Foreign Ministry is preparing two presidential trips for October. Mr. Lula will attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Malaysia, and is also expected to make a state visit to Indonesia, a country of over 280 million people with significant consumer market potential.
*By Renan Truffi, Sofia Aguiar and Andrea Jubé, Valor — Brasília
Source: Valor International
https://valorinternational.globo.com/