The European Commission has outlined the signature by the European Union and Mexico of a Modernised Global Agreement and an Interim Trade Agreement, which deepen the bilateral relationship and are intended to remove trade barriers, support investment and strengthen supply chains. The package covers goods, services and investment, with annual EU Mexico trade in goods and services already exceeding EUR 100 billion. For practitioners, the main changes are wider market access for EU firms and stronger rule disciplines. The agreements remove 95% of high Mexican tariffs on EU agri food exports and protect 568 EU geographical indications. They also open opportunities for EU companies in finance, telecommunications, transport and digital trade by easing access to government contracts, investment and services markets, while simplifying rules for smaller businesses and adding investor protections. On raw materials, the deal improves market access and bans export restrictions, export monopolies, unjustified price interventions and dual pricing. It also includes binding commitments on environmental protection and labour rights, provisions on animal welfare, intellectual property protections, and anti corruption measures including criminalisation of bribery of government officials and measures against money laundering. The agreements now move to ratification. On the EU side, the Modernised Global Agreement requires ratification by all Member States under national procedures, while the Interim Trade Agreement follows the EU only process requiring European Parliament consent and a Council decision on conclusion before entry into force. The Interim Trade Agreement will expire once the Modernised Global Agreement enters into force.
European Commission2026-05-22
European Commission confirms EU Mexico trade agreements cutting 95% of Mexican agri food tariffs and protecting 568 geographical indications
The European Commission reported that the EU and Mexico signed a Modernised Global Agreement and an Interim Trade Agreement to deepen trade and investment, including wider market access for EU firms and stronger rules. The package removes most Mexican tariffs on EU agri-food exports, opens opportunities in finance, telecommunications, transport and digital trade, strengthens investor protections, and introduces binding commitments on environmental protection, labour rights, animal welfare, intellectual property and anti-corruption. Both agreements now move to ratification.