Mexico is looking to the Pacific with a clear strategy. At a time of trade tensions and supply chain reconfiguration, the country seeks to position itself as the connection point between Asia and North America. It’s not just about attracting investment, but about becoming a strategic hub where manufacturing, technology, and trade converge.
The opportunity is significant. The Asia-Pacific region accounts for nearly 60% of global GDP and up to 45% of global trade, a dimension that, as former Mexican ambassador to China Sergio Ley warned, is redefining the economic map. “The world’s economic center of gravity has shifted from the Atlantic to the Pacific,” he noted. In this context, Mexico is seeking closer ties with the most dynamic economies, from Vietnam to Indonesia, where growth is maintaining a pace that contrasts sharply with the slowdown in traditional economic powers.
This rapprochement involves a concrete mechanism: the APEC Business Advisory Council, known as ABAC, serves as a bridge between the private sector and the governments of 21 economies. From there, recommendations are developed that reach the region’s leaders directly.
Francisco Suárez, president of ABAC, explains: “What we’re looking for is to create bridges for new business,” he stated. For Mexico, this platform opens a double window. On the one hand, it allows the country to showcase its productive capacity and its integration with the United States. On the other, it brings in Asian companies seeking to diversify their presence in the face of global trade tensions.
In this convergence of interests, the narrative of nearshoring emerges, but with a broader nuance. Mexico is not only competing to replace Asia, but also to integrate with it. The idea is to develop value chains where Asian inputs, technology, and capital find more efficient access to the North American market within Mexican territory.
Luis Darío Ochoa, Director of Corporate Affairs at Coca-Cola FEMSA and a member of ABAC, summarizes it as an opportunity. “Mexico can consolidate itself as an economic bridge between Asia and North America,” he asserted. This role rests on its geographic location, but also on its network of trade agreements and its cultural and logistical proximity to the United States.
The potential extends to key sectors. From financial services to advanced manufacturing, including agribusiness and the digital economy, areas of collaboration are multiplying. Ochoa emphasizes that one of the focuses is on technological development and the integration of more sophisticated supply chains, where Mexico can increase its added value.
However, the path is not without tensions. More restrictive trade policies, allegations of triangulation of goods, and pressure from the United States to limit Asian presence pose a balancing challenge. Mexico must attract investment without disrupting its alignment with North America.
Agustín García Rechy, also a member of ABAC, explained that topics such as regional integration, sustainability, connectivity, and digitalization are being discussed, with an approach that seeks to facilitate trade without ignoring changes in the global environment. The key lies in maintaining an open dialogue between businesses and governments, even amidst uncertainty.
Adding to this challenge is another, more silent but equally important one: the lack of awareness that still exists about Mexico in several Asian economies. For Ambassador Lee, part of the work involves showcasing “the real Mexico,” one with industrial capacity, talent, and investment opportunities.
This effort also includes the so-called Mexico Plan, which the government seeks to promote as a calling card for Pacific investors. The goal is clear: to transform interest into concrete projects that strengthen national industry and expand its global integration.
The next step in this strategy will arrive soon. In April, Mexico City will host more than 150 high-level business representatives at ABAC, a meeting that hasn’t taken place in the country for over a decade. The meeting will serve to outline proposals, strengthen contacts, and, above all, present Mexico as a reliable partner.
Beyond the immediate event, attention is already focused on 2028. That year, Mexico will host the APEC Leaders’ Summit, a forum that will bring together the leading economies of the Pacific. For the public and private sectors, it will be an opportunity to solidify the message that is beginning to take shape.
Source: expansion
