Overview
- The tenth negotiating round in Toronto, held May 25–29, advanced five chapters of the free‑trade text into the stage of negotiation closure after intensive technical meetings.
- Delegates held in‑person talks on goods, services, rules of origin, intellectual property, sanitary and phytosanitary rules, safeguards, temporary entry and other legal chapters, and Canada’s trade minister Maninder Sidhu met with Mercosul negotiators.
- Officials have scheduled the next round in Brasília for next month and say they expect to finish an agreement in 2026 if the accelerated pace is maintained, though that outcome remains conditional.
- Bilateral trade growth underpins urgency for a deal: Canada and Brazil traded US$10.4 billion in 2025, with Brazilian exports to Canada at US$7.3 billion, and negotiators singled out mining, infrastructure and aerospace as priority sectors.
- Finalizing the deal will require more technical closures and later domestic approvals, meaning negotiators must resolve detailed rules and each Mercosul member and Canada must complete separate ratification steps before the pact takes effect.