What country was Walmart’s first international expansion outside the U.S.? Walmart first expanded internationally into Mexico.
The company entered Mexico in 1991 by opening a Sam’s Club in Mexico City through a joint venture with Cifra, a major Mexican retailer. This was Walmart’s first store outside the United States and marked the beginning of its international business.
The Mexico entry gave Walmart an opportunity to adapt its low-price retail model to a new market while working with a local partner familiar with Mexican consumers, suppliers, and regulations. Walmart later acquired a majority position in Cifra in 1997, and the business was renamed Walmart de México in 2000.
Canada is a frequent wrong answer because Walmart expanded there soon afterward, beginning in 1994 through the acquisition of Woolco stores. China came later, in 1996. The question asks for the first country outside the United States, so Mexico is the single canonical answer even though the initial Mexican location was a Sam’s Club rather than a conventional Walmart-branded store.