U.S.

Mexico Relations
U.S. relations with Mexico are strong and vital. The two countries share a 2,000-mile border with 55
active land ports of entry, and bilateral relations between the two have a direct impact on the lives
and livelihoods of millions of Americans, whether the issue is trade and economic reform, education
exchange, citizen security, drug control, migration, human trafficking, entrepreneurship, innovation,
energy cooperation, or public health. The scope of relations between the United States and Mexico is
broad and goes beyond diplomatic and official relations. It encompasses extensive commercial,
cultural, and educational ties, with $1.7 billion of two-way trade and during normal economic and
health times, there are hundreds of thousands of people crossing the border legally each day. In
addition, 1.5 million U.S. citizens live in Mexico, and Mexico is the top foreign destination for U.S.
travelers.

Pandemic Response

The United States is working closely with the Mexican government and partners to combat the
pandemic and reduce secondary economic impacts in both countries. In March 2020, the United
States, Mexico, and Canada agreed to restrict non-essential travel across borders to prevent the
spread of COVID-19 while addressing the economic effects resulting from reduced mobility along
the shared border. Additionally, the countries have held frequent coordination calls between high-
level officials to discuss challenges and share information about the global pandemic while planning
for safely re-opening the economies and commerce. The two countries have enabled the return home
of thousands of their respective citizens; facilitated the maintenance of critical supplies of vital
protective equipment and medical supplies; and ensured foreign citizens employed in essential
economic sectors in the respective countries have been able to continue working under clear sanitary
guidelines.

Bilateral Economic Issues and the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement

Mexico is the United States’ second largest trading partner and second-largest export market (after
Canada). In 2019, two-way trade in goods totaled $614.5 billion. Mexico’s exports rely heavily on
supplying the U.S. market, but the country has also sought to diversify its export destinations. About
80 percent of Mexico’s exports in 2018 went to the United States. In 2019, Mexico was the second-
largest supplier of foreign crude oil to the United States, as well as the largest export market for U.S.
refined petroleum products and U.S. natural gas. Other top U.S. exports to Mexico include
machinery, electrical machinery, vehicles, mineral fuels, and plastics. The stock of foreign direct
investment by U.S. companies in Mexico stands at $114.9 billion, while reciprocal Mexican
investment in the United States was $18.7 billion in 2018.

In 2020, all three countries began implementation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement
(USMCA) to address the needs of the twenty-first century economy and the trilateral Environmental
Cooperation Agreement (ECA) to develop an updated framework for environmental cooperation
between the three countries. The USMCA entered into force on July 1, 2020. The USMCA will
support mutually beneficial trade leading to freer markets, fairer trade, and robust economic growth
in North America. The agreement is expected to generate job opportunities; improve worker
protections; prevent forced labor; increase agricultural trade; produce new investments in vital
manufacturing industries; protect intellectual property rights; create a similar set of environmental
standards across the three countries; and move digital trade protections into the 21st century. A key
requirement of USMCA is a formal review of the agreement at least every six years. These periodic
reviews are designed to ensure that the terms of the agreement remain beneficial for all parties, and to
identify emerging issues for potential revisions. The agreement is set to terminate on July 1, 2036 but
can be extended for an additional 16 years by all three countries after each review.

Migration

The United States and Mexico released a joint declaration in June 2019 to address the shared
challenges of irregular migration. In this declaration, Mexico committed to increasing enforcement to
curb irregular migration, supporting the U.S. expansion of the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP)
across the U.S. southern border, and offering jobs, healthcare, and education to migrants returned
pursuant to MPP. From June 2019 to
May 2020, Mexico apprehended 145,682 migrants, contributing to a significant decrease in irregular
migrant arrivals to the United States.

The United States and Mexico recognize the strong links between promoting development and
economic growth in southern Mexico and the success of promoting prosperity, good governance, and
security in Central America. The United States and Mexico welcome the Comprehensive
Development Plan launched by Mexico in concert with El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to
promote these goals. The United States and Mexico will engage with regional and international
partners to build a more prosperous and secure Central America to address the underlying causes of
migration, so that citizens of the region can build better lives for themselves and their families at
home

U.S.-Mexico Border

The border region represents a combined population of approximately 15 million people.

Cooperation between the United States and Mexico along our border includes coordinating with state
and local officials on cross-border infrastructure, transportation planning, and security, as well as
collaboration with institutions that address migration, natural resource, environment, and health
issues. In 2010, the United States and Mexico created a high-level Executive Steering Committee for
21st Century Border Management to spur advancements in promoting a modern, secure, and efficient
border. The multi-agency U.S.-Mexico Binational Bridges and Border Crossings Group meets three
times a year to further joint initiatives that improve the efficiency of existing crossings and
coordinate planning for new ones. The ten U.S. and Mexican border states are active participants in
these meetings. There are many mechanisms involving the border region, including Border Master
Plans to coordinate infrastructure and development and close collaboration on transportation and
customs issues.

High-level representatives from the U.S. and Mexican governments met on March 4, 2020, in
Mexico City for the 12th Plenary Meeting of the 21st Century Border Management Initiative
Executive Steering Committee to encourage increased bilateral collaboration on key issues affecting
the countries’ shared border. At this meeting, the delegations approved the 21st Century Border
Management Initiative Strategy. This strategy provides a framework to collaborate more closely on
promoting the shared border as a safe and competitive region, while also highlighting the key role it
plays in the economic development and well-being of its communities.

To that end, the delegations also adopted Action Plans to guide bilateral efforts to modernize and
expand ports of entry along the shared border; facilitate the flow of trade and travelers between the
two countries; and strengthen cooperation on public safety in the border region.

The United States and Mexico also have a long history of cooperation on environmental and natural
resource issues, particularly in the border area, where there are challenges caused by rapid population
growth, urbanization, and industrialization. Cooperative activities between the United States and
Mexico take place under a number of arrangements, such as the North American Development Bank;
the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation; the Border Health Commission;
and a variety of other agreements that address health of border residents, wildlife, migratory birds,
national parks, and similar issues.

The International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), created by a treaty between the United
States and Mexico, is an international organization responsible for managing a wide variety of water
resource and boundary preservation issues. The U.S. and Mexican Sections of the IBWC work
closely to distribute treaty-stipulated portions of water from the Rio Grande and Colorado River to
both countries. The IBWC also works to mitigate and prevent cross-border flows of untreated
wastewater. In that capacity, the U.S. Section of IBWC is one of EPA’s lead partners in planning and
implementing construction of major wastewater infrastructure – particularly in the Tijuana-San
Diego area – under a $300 million appropriation provided as part of the USMCA implementation act.

The two countries have also cooperated on telecommunications services in the border area for more
than 50 years. Agreements cover mobile broadband services, including smartphones and similar
devices. The United States and Mexico continue to hold regular consultations on telecommunications
to promote growth in this dynamic sector and to help facilitate compatible telecommunications
services in border areas.
U.S. Security Cooperation with Mexico

The United States leverages foreign assistance and diplomacy with Mexico to reduce the impact of
illicit drugs on U.S. communities; dismantle criminal organizations; help Mexico manage migration;
and improve the effectiveness of Mexico’s criminal justice to better prevent, investigate, and
prosecute crime. U.S.-funded training, equipment, and technical assistance complement Mexico’s
own investment in building the capacity of Mexican institutions and personnel to achieve these goals.
Because of this collaboration, the shared border is more secure, information sharing more fluid, and
Mexico now has more professionally trained officials and state-of-the-art equipment to confront
transnational crime. Cooperation between Mexico and the United States has never been more vital in
the fight to combat the deadly threat of illicit fentanyl, heroin, and synthetic drugs.

In 2019, Mexican authorities maintained law enforcement cooperation on human trafficking cases
with the United States, which included the extradition of two traffickers to the United States; the
successful prosecution of a Tlaxcala sex trafficking ring; prosecution training that led to the
successful convictions with 15-, 18-, and 43-year prison sentences of three traffickers from the State
of Mexico; and information assistance on three additional trafficking cases. Since 2002, the Office to
Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons has funded over 40 projects in Mexico totaling $12.7
million, second among all countries receiving funding. It is currently funding an organization to
address trafficking in persons in southern Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras by
increasing the governments’ capacity to combat trafficking in persons, creating a regional network
for victim referral, and improving comprehensive victim services.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) programs support Mexican efforts to
address key challenges to improving citizen security. USAID programs help communities resist the
effects of crime and violence while supporting Mexico’s implementation of criminal justice
constitutional reforms that protect citizens’ rights.

Educational and Cultural Exchanges

The United States has a robust series of educational and cultural programs with Mexico. These
programs work with young leaders, students, civil society, and entrepreneurs. They provide English
language learning, advance STEM education, strengthen civil society, provide exchange
opportunities, and expand economic opportunity. They include music and sports diplomacy; the
Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation; the Academy of Women Entrepreneurs (AWE)
leadership programs like Jóvenes en Acción (Youth in Action); the Young Leaders of the Americas
Initiative (YLAI); the Study of the U.S. Institutes (SUSI), which target indigenous and Afro-Mexican
populations; and English language programs such as the Access program and English Language
Fellows and Specialists.

The U.S.-Mexico Bilateral Forum on Higher Education, Innovation, and Research (FOBESII)
expands opportunities for educational exchanges, scientific research partnerships, and cross-border
innovation. The Bilateral Forum complements the goals of the 100,000 Strong in the Americas
(100K) Innovation Fund, the Department’s signature hemispheric education initiative. The 100K
Innovation Fund is the trusted, flexible public/private sector mechanism between the Department,
U.S. embassies, non-governmental organizations, companies, foundations, and higher education
institutions (HEIs) that stimulates and supports HEI-partnerships to create new models of short-term
academic exchange and training opportunities for teams of students in the United States and the rest
of the Western Hemisphere, including Mexico.

After six years (2014-2020), Mexico is the leading country in this hemispheric-wide initiative to
partner with U.S. universities, colleges, and community colleges. To date, a total of 60 Innovation
Fund grant-winning teams between HEIs in both countries are working across nine Mexican states
and 24 U.S. states to provide academic training to underserved students to gain technical skills and
prepare for the workforce in areas such as public health, STEM, sustainable agriculture, technology,
business development, education, and others. Leading private sector partners who have contributed
to the 100K Innovation Fund from Mexico include Banorte, Gruma, Coca-Cola, Televisa, and
Jenkins Foundation.

The Fulbright program, initiated in Mexico in 1948, is one of the largest in the world. The U.S.-
Mexico Binational Fulbright Program (Fulbright-Garcia-Robles) is one of the largest in the world,
sending about 100 grantees in each direction and receiving approximately $5 million annually in
contributions from the Governments of the United States and Mexico. Since the establishment of the
binational Fulbright Commission in 1990 with joint U.S. and Mexican funding, more than 3,500
students on both sides of the border have received Fulbright-Garcia-Robles scholarships. Fulbright
alumni have risen to prominent positions in Mexican business, academics, culture, and politics.

The year 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the signing of the U.S.-Mexico treaty on the recovery
and return of stolen archaeological, historical, and cultural properties. This was the first international
treaty related to cultural property trafficking. Predating the UNESCO 1970 Convention on the Means
of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural
Property, this treaty demonstrates both countries’ leadership on this topic.