Mexico Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in mexico, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Trade Agreements
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For U.S. exporters, Mexico’s trade liberalization efforts mean that the Mexican market is one of the most open and competitive in the world. The United States, Mexico, and Canada are Parties to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which entered into force on July 1, 2020, replacing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Qualifying goods and services that had zero tariffs under NAFTA remain at zero under USMCA. For additional information on tariffs, see the Trade Barriers section of this guide and visit the FTA Tariff Tool and the FTA Resources Toolbox on our FTA Help Center.

The USMCA is a modernized trade agreement designed to rebalance North American trade and deliver fair and reciprocal outcomes for U.S. workers, farmers, and businesses. It updated and replaced NAFTA by strengthening rules of origin to support U.S. manufacturing, improving market access for agricultural products, and revising investment provisions to better protect U.S. interests. The Agreement also includes enhanced commitments on customs inspections, trade facilitation, and treatment of low-value goods, ensuring more efficient cross-border commerce. Importantly, USMCA incorporates enforceable labor and environmental obligations, as well as advanced provisions on intellectual property and digital trade, helping to level the playing field and reduce incentives to outsource while fostering stronger economic growth across North America.

The USMCA includes a mandatory joint review process scheduled for July 2026, six years after the agreement entered into force. During this review, the United States, Mexico, and Canada will evaluate the agreement’s operation, identify areas for adjustment, and decide whether to extend USMCA beyond its initial 16-year term. For U.S. exporters, the 2026 review represents an important milestone and an opportunity to share observations on the agreement during the public comment period. Companies are encouraged to monitor developments closely, engage through industry associations or public comment processes, and assess how potential changes could affect their supply chains and competitiveness in North America.

Mexico is also a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Group of 20 (G20), and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Mexico has 13 Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with 50 countries, including USMCA and FTAs with the European Union, the European Free Trade Area, Japan, Israel, 10 countries in Latin America, and the 11-country Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. Mexico is also a member of the Pacific Alliance, a trade bloc formed in 2011 by Mexico, Chile, Colombia, and Peru.

For information on FTA partner countries, including how to take advantage of a FTA, please see the FTA Help Center. For more information, visit the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) website and the International Trade Administration’s USMCA landing page.

Licensing Requirements for Professional Services

United States professional licenses are not generally recognized in Mexico (e.g., engineer, architect, lawyer). To practice a regulated profession, one must either (1) become accredited in Mexico by registering their degree and professional credentials or (2) work with a Mexican counterpart who can co-sign or validate the work. For example, a U.S. architect may draw up plans for a building, but those plans must receive a “Cédula Profesional” (Stamp of Approval) from a licensed Mexican architect. Professionals seeking recognition of their degrees can apply through the Sistema de Equivalencia y Revalidación de Estudios (SERE), the online platform managed by the Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP).

Applicants must create a user account, fill out a formal request, upload required documentation (e.g., academic transcripts, birth certificate, course syllabi, institutional technical opinion), and pay the processing fee via the SEP’s online payment system. Once reviewed, SEP issues an official equivalency or revalidation resolution. There are two main pathways:

  • Equivalencia Total: grants full recognition, allowing the applicant to obtain a Mexican title if institutional requirements are met
  • Equivalencia Parcial: allows continuation of studies within a Mexican institution, accepting previously completed coursework as valid credits
    A detailed step-by-step guide is available on the SEP SERE portal: https://sere.sep.gob.mx 

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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