May 22, 2026, 06:48May 22, 2026, 06:48
Ten years after the start of renegotiations, the European Union and Mexico will sign the modernized version of their trade and cooperation agreement from 2000 this Friday. This is intended to reduce further tariffs and trade barriers and update the framework for cooperation.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.Image: keystone
For the most populous Spanish-speaking country with 130 million inhabitants, the EU is the world’s largest export market after the USA. The annual bilateral trade volume is around 86 billion euros. Around 80 percent of Mexican exports go to the USA, whose economy has sealed itself off under the administration of US President Donald Trump through the introduction of new tariffs.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council President António Costa are traveling to Mexico City to sign the new global agreement. There they also want to discuss deepening cooperation at a bilateral summit with President Claudia Sheinbaum. In addition to trade, the global agreement also covers issues such as climate change, human rights and international cooperation. (dab/sda/dpa)