Record-Breaking Foreign Direct Investment
According to statistics released on August 21 by Mexico's Ministry of Economy Foreign Investment Directorate General (DGIE), foreign direct investment inflows (balance of payments basis, flow) for the first half of 2025 (January-June) totaled $34.265 billion, a 10.2% increase year-on-year. This represents a record high for the first half period.
Investment Composition and Surge in New Investment
Investment composition breakdown:
- Reinvested earnings: 84.4% ($28.93 billion)
- New investment: 9.2% ($3.149 billion, 3.5 times year-on-year increase)
- Intercompany accounts: 6.4% ($2.196 billion)
The dramatic 3.5-fold increase in new investment particularly drove overall growth.
Investment Trends by Country/Region
Major Investing Country Rankings:
- United States: $14.703 billion (42.9% share) - largest investing country
- Spain: 17.3% (approximately $5.9 billion) - significant recovery from previous year's redemption excess
- Canada: 5.1% (approximately $1.7 billion)
- Japan: $1.444 billion (4.2% share, 53.1% decrease year-on-year)
Spain continues to perform well, with Cox Energy acquiring Iberdrola's Mexican operations for $4.2 billion in July and announcing $10.7 billion in investments for 2025-2030.
Industrial and Regional Investment Patterns
Investment by Industry:
- Manufacturing: Accounts for 36.0% of investment but down 25.9% year-on-year, showing poor performance
- Transportation equipment manufacturing: Down 36.1% year-on-year due to impact of US additional tariffs
- Finance and insurance: 26.7% of investment amount, strong performance with 90.8% year-on-year increase
Regional Investment Distribution:
- Mexico City: 56.4% of total (36.1% increase year-on-year)
- Nuevo León: Manufacturing cluster region with 31.6% increase year-on-year
- Baja California: Down 12.9% year-on-year
- Guanajuato: Japanese company entry region with 35.6% decrease year-on-year
Government and Political Assessment
DGIE commented that "amid global political and economic conditions, foreign investors' continued interest in Mexico has been demonstrated once again." President Claudia Sheinbaum stated at an August 21 press conference that "(US additional) tariffs couldn't stop the Mexican economy either," emphasizing Mexico's attractiveness as an investment destination.