January 30th, 2026
1. Mexico and the United States agree to begin review of the USMCA, and leaders hold a call
Following the meeting between Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, the governments of both countries announced that they are ready to begin formal negotiations on structural and strategic reforms to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Both parties acknowledged substantial progress in recent months and agreed to continue intensive collaboration to address non-tariff barriers. The main issues to be addressed in the review will be rules of origin for industrial goods, collaboration on critical minerals, combating manufacturing dumping, and defending the rights of workers and producers in Mexico and the United States. In addition, Canada announced that it has completed its internal consultations and is ready to begin the process.
For their part, Claudia Sheinbaum and Donald Trump held a call in which they discussed security and the fight against drug trafficking, the border, and trade. On the latter issue, they mentioned the United States’ interest in reaching other trade agreements with Mexico, speeding up customs clearance, and refunding VAT to the automotive industry. This is the second call between the two leaders since Trump’s threat to attack drug cartels in Mexico, and comes within the framework of the formal start of the USMCA review. Despite the tensions, Sheinbaum and Trump described the call as “extremely good” for both countries.
El País: México y Estados Unidos acuerdan el arranque formal de la revisión del TMEC
2. Sheinbaum meets with bankers and automotive sector
President Claudia Sheinbaum reported that she held a meeting with the governor of the Bank of Mexico, Victoria Rodríguez Ceja, as well as with members of the Mexican Banking Association, to discuss the country’s economic outlook. Among those in attendance were the Secretary of Finance and Public Credit, Edgar Amador Zamora, and the head of the Digital Transformation and Telecommunications Agency, José Antonio Peña Merino. The meeting sought to align the public and private sectors to accelerate growth, strengthen productive financing, and use the financial system as an engine for social development. Although no specific agreements were detailed, the consensus among attendees is that the coming days will bring relevant announcements, particularly in the areas of road and airport infrastructure, financing for strategic projects, expansion of productive credit, and economic digitization and formalization.
President Sheinbaum also met with executives from the country’s automotive industry, including the president of the Mexican Automotive Industry Association (AMIA), José Rogelio Garza, and the association’s CEO, Odracir Barquera. Sheinbaum explained that the automotive industry contributes 4.5% to the gross domestic product; however, in early January, the president of AMIA stated that 2026 would be a “complicated” year for the automotive industry, both for light and heavy vehicles, due to the uncertainty of the changes that the sector will undergo with the USMCA, and the imposition of tariffs by the Donald Trump administration. Therefore, for the automotive sector in North America, this review is the most important issue for this year, and they hope to conclude the negotiations with zero tariffs.
Líder Empresarial: Sheinbaum se reúne con banqueros: ¿Cuáles fueron los acuerdos?
El Economista: Sheinbaum se reúne con directivos de la industria automotriz
3. Sheinbaum aims for higher customs revenue as Mexico sets export record
President Claudia Sheinbaum inaugurated the new headquarters of the National Customs Agency of Mexico (ANAM) in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, with the aim of increasing efficiency, honesty, and tax collection. With an investment of more than 4 billion pesos, the facilities are equipped with advanced technology such as X-rays and mobile laboratories, and are expected to contribute to achieving customs revenue of 1.5 trillion pesos in 2026. Nuevo Laredo, which generates 33% of national revenue, was chosen as the headquarters, highlighting its strategic importance as a logistics and commercial hub.
The inauguration comes at a time when Mexico has consolidated its position as one of the main exporters to the United States, despite the tariff restrictions imposed by President Trump, as the Mexican economy exported goods worth $663.407 billion throughout 2025 and imported $663.045 billion, both historic highs, according to official figures. This means that exports or foreign sales rose 7.83% annually, their highest rate in three years, and imports rose 4.69%.
Gobierno de México: Presidenta Claudia Sheinbaum inaugura la aduana de Nuevo Laredo en Tamaulipas; permitirá mayor eficiencia y honestidad en la recaudación
4. Morena, PT, and PVEM will maintain their alliance until 2027
Morena, the Labor Party (PT), and the Green Ecologist Party of Mexico (PVEM) signed a joint declaration to maintain their coalition ahead of the 2027 midterm elections. In the case of the PT, it extended its commitment until 2030. This agreement reinforces the support of these parties for the “Fourth Transformation” project and President Claudia Sheinbaum, which means that Morena and its leadership have managed to resolve the internal divisions within the movement that had arisen after announcing changes to an electoral reform proposal that could affect minority parties, including the PVEM and the PT. Although the content of the reform is not yet known, it is presumed that it will not significantly affect them. For their part, party leaders emphasized that the alliance is “stronger than ever” to confront the opposition and ensure the continuity of the project.
This agreement comes a few days before the start of the regular session on February 1, for which all political factions have begun to hold plenary meetings, where all legislators gather to discuss the issues that will be part of their legislative agenda in the coming months. So far, some priorities have been defined, such as electoral reform, the implementation of faceless judges, and the reduction of the work week to 40 hours, among other initiatives.
Excelsior: Reforma electoral, jueces sin rostro y semana laboral de 40 horas, prioridad del Senado
5. Oaxaca, first state to hold recall elections
Oaxaca held the first statewide recall election, in which Governor Salomón Jara Cruz obtained 58.82% of the votes in favor of his remaining in office, compared to 38.16% who voted against him. However, voter turnout was only 29.9%, below the 40% required for the result to be binding. Despite this, Jara will remain in office, as the exercise is not binding due to low turnout. The governor described the 40% threshold as “very high” and proposed a constitutional reform to make the decision binding with a simple majority, regardless of the turnout percentage.
The process, organized in record time by the Oaxaca State Electoral and Citizen Participation Institute (IEEPCO) and the National Electoral Institute (INE) with a limited budget, was marked by 524 incidents, including the burning of ballot boxes, ballot stuffing, and threats to officials in various locations. These events have led to at least four investigations into possible electoral crimes. Although the exercise was not binding, it sets a precedent in Mexico and raises questions about the effectiveness of the Mandate Revocation Law, as well as the need to improve logistics and security in future processes.
Animal Político: Revocación de mandato en Oaxaca: 58 % votaron a favor de que Salomón Jara siga; participación se queda por debajo de 40 %