Mexico and France announce plan to boost economic and cultural ties after leaders meet

Mexico and France Forge New Economic Alliance Amid U.S. Trade Tensions

Mexico and France announced plans Friday to strengthen their economic partnership and cultural cooperation, a strategic move as Mexico seeks to diversify its trade relationships while still facing tariffs imposed during the Trump administration.

The announcement came after newly elected Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron to the National Palace in Mexico City during his first official visit to the country. The meeting underscores Mexico’s ongoing efforts to forge closer ties with the European Union amid significant trade tensions with the United States, which remains Mexico’s primary export market.

Currently, the U.S. applies tariffs of up to 50% on various Mexican products, including steel, copper, and tomatoes, along with other items not covered by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). These trade barriers have pushed Mexico to look eastward for more stable commercial partnerships.

“Today we begin a new chapter in our strategic alliance, one that demands—and that we want to be—even more global,” Macron stated during a joint press conference. He emphasized that the approximately 700 French companies currently operating in Mexico would continue investing and creating jobs, with particular focus on the aerospace sector.

The economic impact of these French businesses is already substantial, generating around 150,000 direct jobs and 700,000 indirect jobs in Mexico, according to Macron. France currently stands as the sixth largest European investor in Mexico, highlighting the growing importance of this cross-Atlantic relationship.

The bilateral economic relationship has flourished since the European Union-Mexico Free Trade Agreement took effect in 2000. President Sheinbaum pointed to next year’s renewal of this trade agreement as a critical opportunity to further deepen economic cooperation between the two nations. The timing is particularly significant as 2025 will also mark the bicentennial of diplomatic relations between Mexico and France.

Beyond economic matters, the meeting yielded important cultural agreements, particularly regarding the exhibition of pre-Hispanic manuscripts. The leaders announced reciprocal temporary treaties for the exhibition of historical codices: the Azcatitlan Codex, currently housed in France, will be brought to Mexico, while the Boturini Codex will be exhibited in France.

“These codices are fundamental to the relationship between Europe and Mexico. They represent Mexico’s living memory of our history,” Sheinbaum explained, highlighting the cultural significance of these historical documents.

The cultural exchange marks progress on initiatives first launched in 2020 by former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s administration, which had requested the return of both the Bourbon Codex and the Azcatitlan Codex from French authorities.

José Alfonso Suárez del Real y Aguilera, political adviser to the General Coordination of Social Communication of the Mexican Presidency, emphasized that the Azcatitlan Codex holds tremendous value for Mexico due to its documentation of the development of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Mexica empire, from its foundation through the 17th century.

The Boturini Codex, a 16th-century manuscript, chronicles the migration of the Mexica people from their place of origin to the founding of Mexico-Tenochtitlan, making it another irreplaceable cultural treasure.

This diplomatic engagement between Mexico and France represents a strategic pivot as Mexico navigates a complex international trade landscape. By strengthening European ties while maintaining its crucial North American relationships, Mexico appears to be pursuing a more balanced approach to global commerce—one that could prove vital should U.S.-Mexico trade tensions persist beyond the current administration.