Eleven years after the last EU/Mexico Summit (see EUROPE 11334/10), the Mexican President, Claudia Sheinbaum, and the Presidents of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and of the European Council, António Costa, signed a modernised cooperation agreement and an interim trade agreement in Mexico City on Friday 22 May, opening “a new chapter” in the strategic partnership between the European Union and Mexico initiated in 2000 (see EUROPE 13869/2).
Expressing their “concern over the growing geopolitical tensions in different regions of the world”, the two partners reaffirmed their commitment to multilateralism and a rules-based international order. The day before, in front of the Mexican Senate, Mr Costa had suggested that the EU and Mexico, a member of the G20 and the OECD, could join forces in favour of “a reform of the UN that preserves the fundamental principles of international order”.
On the trade front, both partners said they were delighted with the progress made over the last twenty-five years. Bilateral trade continues to favour Europeans, who export 53 billion euros worth of goods (2025 figures) and 20.3 billion euros worth of services (2024) to the Central American country, while Mexicans export 33.8 and 9.4 billion euros worth of goods (2025) and services (2024) respectively to the EU.
Mexico is the EU’s second largest export market in Latin America, after Brazil, while the EU is the second largest export market for Mexican products, after the United States.
New impetus for trade. The interim trade agreement, which will apply once it has been approved by the European Parliament and Mexico, is intended to boost trade.
According to a European official, customs duties on European products will almost disappear for a number of foodstuffs, including pork (excluding pork fillets), dairy products (up to 50,000 tonnes for milk powder and 2,500 tonnes for butter), certain fruits (apples and peaches in syrup), eggs and pasta. Previously taxed at 100%, 20,000 tonnes of European chicken thighs will now enter Mexico duty free.
In addition, 232 European alcoholic beverages and 336 protected geographical indications will be added to the hundred or so European spirits already protected.
On the Mexican side, coffee, fruit, chocolate and agave syrup are the products that will benefit most from additional trade openings, according to this official.
The interim trade agreement also provides for greater openness of Mexican public procurement markets, as well as the digital and telecommunications sectors. The creation of a level playing field in terms of access to the raw materials (fluorspar, antimony, copper, zinc, lead) that Mexico supplies to the EU is also highlighted.
When asked about possible re-exports of Chinese electric cars from the Mexican market, this European official indicated that this issue had been dealt with by maintaining the provisions on the rules of origin of products set out in the agreement signed in 2000. “We believe that we have robust rules in place and are confident that they will prevent the backdoor entry of Chinese products”, the official stressed.
Conversely, the export of car parts by the EU will be facilitated by Mexico’s alignment with recognised international standards (UNECE tests).
The trade agreement also contains a clause on sustainable development, aimed at ensuring respect for labour rights, environmental protection, the Paris Agreement and social responsibility in the conduct of business. A joint declaration on the role of women in trade is also annexed to the trade agreement.
On Friday, in the margins of the EU ‘Trade’ Council (see EUROPE 13873/3), the Cypriot Minister for Trade, Michális Damianós, said that the start of the provisional application of the EU/Mercosur trade agreement and the signing of the interim trade agreement between the EU and Mexico were “a significant milestone for the EU’s diversification agenda”.
Launch of sectoral dialogues. The EU/Mexico Summit was also an opportunity to announce the launch of new sectoral dialogues.
The day before, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, and the Mexican Minister of Foreign Affairs, Roberto Velasco, had initiated a dialogue on international political issues.
“When EU and Mexico vote in the United Nations, we vote for the same principles and same values. That matters more than ever as economic coercion, and supply chain disruptions are becoming a new normal”, said Ms Kallas.
She confirmed that she had discussed with her Mexican counterpart the political and economic crisis in Cuba, where, in her view, “the political repression must end and the [Cuban regime’s] grip over the economy as well”. In their joint statement, the EU and Mexico nevertheless express their “humanitarian solidarity with the Cuban people”.
In addition, the two partners reaffirmed their commitment to deepen cooperation in research, the fight against climate disruption and the protection of biodiversity. Sectoral dialogues will also be launched in the health sector, notably on vaccine research and the prevention of epidemics, in the energy sector, and in the areas of security and migration.
Finally, a sectoral dialogue will be launched in the area of security and migration, with the EU and Mexico stressing “the importance of international police and judicial cooperation in the fight against organised crime and illicit drug trafficking in the framework of a comprehensive approach also addressing drug demand and drug related harm”.
To see the EU/Mexico joint statement: https://aeur.eu/f/m0k
To see the Commission’s qualitative assessment of the modernised agreement: https://aeur.eu/f/m0l
A delegation of 40 MEPs will be in Mexico City from Tuesday 26 to Thursday 28 May for a parliamentary dialogue with their Mexican counterparts. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)