Canada and Uruguay signed a Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement on 25 June 2026 to combat illicit smuggling and strengthen their CAD 317 million trade relationship through the exchange of customs information.
The Canada Border Services Agency announced the signing of a customs mutual assistance agreement with Uruguay on 25 June 2026.
Erin O’Gorman, President of Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), together with His Excellency Pablo Sader, Uruguayan Ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg and the Mission to the European Union signed a Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement (CMAA) between Canada and Uruguay that will further increase trade security between the two countries.
The agreement will help prevent illicit customs activity, such as the smuggling of drugs, firearms and other illegal goods, and help protect the CAD 317 million trade relationship between Canada and Uruguay. This will be accomplished, in large part, through the sharing of customs information.
The signing took place in Brussels, Belgium, during the World Customs Organization’s Council meetings (June 22- 26, 2026). The agreement comes as Canada works toward modernising its 1999 Foreign Investment and Protection Agreement and negotiating a free trade agreement with the MERCOSUR trading bloc, of which Uruguay is a member.
Strong and coordinated partnerships between customs organisations are key to safeguarding economies, disrupting transnational crime and protecting communities.
