As Mexico moves toward renegotiating its free trade agreement with the United States and Canada, the federal government has begun to revive its policy of extracting strategic resources. Following the administration of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, which halted new mining concessions and fracking, the administration of Claudia Sheinbaum has shifted course by signing an action plan with the United States to promote preferential trade in critical minerals.
The bilateral agreement establishes a 60-day period to define which minerals will be considered strategic, as well as to create supply chains that will serve key industries in both countries, such as energy, technology, and national security. This understanding comes within the framework of the U.S. initiative to form a trade bloc that reduces dependence on China, the country that dominates the global supply and refining chain for these minerals.
The signing of the plan coincided with the first Ministerial Conference on Critical Minerals, held in Washington and chaired by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, with representatives from nearly 50 countries in attendance. The United States reported that it already has cooperation frameworks with more than 20 nations and seeks to consolidate agreements that guarantee access to raw materials considered strategic for its industry.
Experts warn that, although the agreement with Mexico still lacks concrete details, it marks a significant shift in direction. Analysts point out that the U.S. strategy seeks to ensure exclusivity for its companies and limit the participation of other countries, which could lead to modifications of Mexican mining policy and the law passed in 2023, which imposed greater restrictions on the sector.
Social and academic organizations have expressed concern about the impact this new approach could have on rural communities and the environment. They warn that an accelerated reactivation of mining and fracking would primarily benefit foreign companies, while the social and environmental costs would fall on the regions where the deposits are concentrated, reopening a debate on the balance between economic development, sovereignty and sustainability.
Source: elmanana
