The EU and Mexico share a strong, stable and dynamic partnership, with annual trade in goods and services amounting to more than €100 billion.
In May 2026, they further deepened their partnership by signing the Modernised Global Agreement and an Interim Trade Agreement. These will deliver significant benefits for the European citizens, businesses, and agri-food sectors, creating opportunities in areas such as trade, investment and clean technologies, while reinforcing supply chains and supporting climate goals.
The new deal will
- remove trade barriers
- support economic growth and competitiveness
- secure sustainable access to critical raw materials
Key figures
Mexico is the EU’s second biggest trading partner in Latin America.
- €207 billion2024 EU investment in Mexico, ie 28% of Mexican foreign investment
- over 11,000 EU companies in Mexico, creating 5.5 million jobs
- over 45,000 EU companies export to Mexico
Benefits for EU agri-food sector
In 2025, Mexico imported EU-agri-food products worth €2.5 billion. It is the second biggest importer of such products in Latin America.
The EU’s new agreements with Mexico
- remove 95% of high Mexican tariffs, increasing market access for EU agri-food exports to Mexico
- protect 568 EU Geographical Indications, making it illegal in Mexico to sell imitations of distinctive food and drink products from specific regions in the EU
EU food and drinks exports to Mexico
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- All imports from Mexico have to meet existing EU rules on consumer safety, animal and plant health, food safety and genetically modified organisms.
- Both sides have agreed to recognise animals as sentient beings (as EU law already does), and improve implementation of animal welfare laws.
Opportunities for EU businesses
The trade deal brings new opportunities for EU companies in Mexico in key sectors such as finance, telecommunications, transport, and digital trade. It promotes investments and support growth by
- making it easier for EU companies to bid for government contracts, invest and provide services in Mexico
- simplifying rules, especially for small businesses
- protecting investors from unfair treatment by governments
- removing barriers to digital trade
Securing critical raw materials
The EU-Mexico agreements ensure fair trade and investment in raw materials through
- improved market access
- elimination of export restrictions, including import duties, which will result in cheaper products
- prohibition of export monopolies and unjustified government interventions in prices
- banning of dual pricing or export pricing where export prices are set above domestic prices
Fostering sustainable trade
The EU and Mexico are aligned on key global issues, including democracy, human rights, and climate and environmental protection.
The new agreements promote sustainable development by
- introducing legally binding commitments on environmental protection and labour rights
- encouraging firms to operate responsibly and accountably
- promoting the sustainable management of fisheries and forests
- empowering civil society to monitor the implementation of the agreements through advisory groups and a civil society forum
All these commitments are enforceable via dispute settlement procedures by independent panels of experts, with a specific committee to be set up to monitor their implementation on the ground.
The agreements also contain a joint declaration on trade, gender equality and women’s economic empowerment.
Protecting intellectual property and tackling corruption
The agreements improve the protection of EU intellectual property by protecting EU artists’ work, for example by making it illegal in Mexico to make unauthorised copies of their work or to use it without paying royalties.
Finally, the agreements also include measures to prevent and combat corruption by
- making bribery a criminal offence for government officials
- strengthening internal controls, external auditing and financial reporting
- tackling money laundering
Background
The EU and Mexico started negotiating a Modernised Global Agreement in 2016. The negotiations were successfully concluded in January 2025.
During the 8th EU–Mexico Summit in May 2026, the EU and Mexico signed the Modernised Global Agreement and the Interim Trade Agreement.
Next steps
Following the signature of the Modernised Global Agreement and the Interim Trade Agreement, the EU and Mexico follow their respective procedures to ratify the agreements.
On the EU side, this means that the Modernised Global Agreement is subject to ratification by all Member states, following their national procedures.
At the same time, the Interim Trade Agreement will follow EU-only ratification process as it falls under EU exclusive competences. This will require the consent of the European Parliament and the adoption of a decision on the conclusion by the Council, after which it will enter into force.
The Interim Trade Agreement will expire once the Modernized Global Agreement enters into force.
Related links
Factsheet: EU-Mexico Modernised Global Agreement
EU-LAC Global Gateway Investment Agenda
EU trade relations with Mexico
