Canada has secured new export access for fresh potatoes to Mexico, in a development that could widen commercial options for growers and packers while strengthening North American potato trade.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said on March 12 that it had reached agreement with Mexico’s Servicio Nacional de Sanidad, Inocuidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria on arrangements allowing shipments of Canadian potatoes to Mexico for consumption or processing. The agency said it would work with the potato sector in the coming months as implementation moves forward.

The move gives Canada’s potato industry a new outlet in a market where regulatory alignment has been under discussion as part of broader bilateral agricultural cooperation. Ottawa linked the agreement to talks held during an October 2025 mission to Mexico by Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Heath MacDonald, when both countries agreed to deepen regulatory and technical cooperation under the Canada-Mexico 2025-2028 Action Plan. Those discussions continued during a further Canadian trade visit to Mexico in February 2026. For the potato sector, the significance lies in market diversification at a time when export resilience and regional trade links are increasingly important.

The Canada-Mexico Action Plan explicitly includes work on sanitary and phytosanitary cooperation to improve market access for agricultural products, alongside progress towards mutual recognition of electronic certification for plant and animal products. The CFIA framed the agreement as part of a wider push to support international market access while ensuring compliance with importing-country rules.

In the official release, MacDonald said: “Our Government stands firmly behind our farmers, championing their innovation and efforts as they expand into new markets across Canada and beyond.” Potatoes remain a significant crop in Canada. The CFIA said potatoes generated about CAD 2.1 billion in farm cash receipts in 2024, while potato and potato product exports rose 2% year on year to more than CAD 3.7 billion in 2024/2025. While the commercial scale and timing of shipments to Mexico remain to be seen, the agreement marks a tangible trade opening for the Canadian potato industry and one with potential relevance beyond the fresh aisle, given that the access also covers potatoes destined for processing.