Overview of best prospect sectors, major infrastructure projects, significant government procurements and business opportunities.
Last Published: 10/17/2019

Abundant market opportunities for U.S. firms exist in Mexico.
Mexican companies, government agencies, and entire industries are deeply familiar with and receptive to U.S. products and services. U.S. producers often find it straightforward to market and sell their services and products in Mexico.

Key Sectors

Mexico’s most promising sectors for U.S. exporters include agriculture; agribusiness; auto parts and services; aerospace; education services; energy; environmental technology; franchising; housing and construction; packaging equipment; plastics and resins; security and safety equipment and services; information technology; transportation infrastructure equipment and services; and travel and tourism services. However, given the size of the Mexican market, there is almost no product a company cannot sell successfully in Mexico with the right preparation, commitment, pricing, and service.

United State-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) Highlights

When fully approved, the USMCA will improve market access for U.S. companies in several important ways.
  • Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). The agreement provides for strong, effective protection and enforcement of IP rights. Canada and Mexico agreed to strong enforcement provisions against counterfeiting and piracy, ensuring protection of trade secrets, and ex officio authority for law enforcement officials to stop suspected in-transit counterfeit goods. The agreement also established 10 years of data protection for biologic drugs.
  • Digital Trade. The agreement contains the strongest disciplines on digital trade of any international trade agreement, including rules to ensure that data can be transferred cross-border and minimizing limits on where data can be stored and processed.
  • Labor. A new chapter brings labor obligations into the core of the agreement and makes them fully enforceable. The agreement requires parties to adopt and maintain labor rights recognized by the International Labor Organization, an Annex on Worker Representation in Collective Bargaining in Mexico, and new provisions prohibiting importation of goods produced by forced labor as well as violence against workers exercising their labor rights.
  • Environment.  With the most comprehensive set of enforceable environmental obligations of any U.S. trade agreement, provisions will combat illegal trafficking in wildlife, timber, and fish. They will also enhance customs inspections, prohibit harmful fisheries subsidies, and combat illegal and unregulated fishing. Further, the agreement addresses environmental issues such as air quality and marine litter.
  • Automotive Manufacturing. Through updated automotive rules of origin, the agreement encourages U.S. manufacturing and regional growth by requiring that 75 percent of auto content be produced in North America and that key core parts always originate on the continent. The agreement encourages higher automotive manufacturing wages by requiring 40–45 percent of automotive content be made by workers earning an average base-wage of at least $16 per hour.

Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.