President Donald Trump announced on Friday, January 31, that he will proceed with his plan to impose a 25 percent tariff on imports from Mexico and Canada entering the United States. In a message to the media from the Oval Office of the White House, he indicated that on February 18, he would apply tariffs on Mexican and Canadian oil and gas. Furthermore, he asserted that Mexico and Canada could not stop the 25 percent tariffs starting February 1.
Trump's tariff threats have generated diverse opinions both in the U.S., where Americans say they disagree with the measure, and from experts who warn that the levy would cause a recession in Mexico and raise prices in the U.S.
Amid this scenario, columnist Jeanette Leyva Reus highlights that American companies continue to bet on investing and growing their businesses in Mexico. She points out that the strategic location and skilled labor, despite not being as cheap in some sectors, remain key factors for U.S. and global firms choosing to operate on Mexican soil.
Regarding cross-border transactions, in 2024, Mexican companies primarily opted to invest in Spain and the United States, with 18 and 17 transactions respectively, although in terms of amount, the United States stands out with 2 billion 272 million dollars. On the other hand, the United States was the country that made the most acquisitions in Mexico, with 85 transactions totaling 1 billion 851 million dollars, followed by Spain with 20 transactions.
In her column "Moneda al Aire," Jeanette Leyva Reus emphasizes that at the regional level, no other country has such high figures in transaction matters. Colombia ranked fourth with 281 transactions, and Argentina was fifth with 238 agreements after improving its macroeconomic data.
Additionally, according to data from TTR Data, Mexico was overtaken by Chile in 2024 for the second spot in the ranking of Latin American countries with the most dynamism in the transactional market. The column concludes by highlighting that despite the challenges posed by Trump, Latin America and Mexico remain attractive destinations for investment, and the new tariffs will eventually also affect businesses in the region.
