Mexico's Record FDI Influx: A Lever for National Growth

Mexico has entered the final stretch of 2025 with a surprisingly strong signal: foreign investors have not stepped back despite a complex global environment and tariff pressures from the United States; on the contrary, investment continues to flow in. 

The recent announcement that Mexico attracted nearly US$41 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) in the third quarter marks more than a milestone, it is a signal of confidence in our potential. The influx, 15% higher than the same period last year, reflects global trust in our country, reaffirming that our manufacturing capacity, geographic advantages, and international integration remain powerful magnets for long-term capital.

What makes this record particularly meaningful is its composition: 2 out of every 3 dollars come from reinvested profits, capital that companies choose to keep in Mexico rather than repatriate abroad. New investments totaled more than US$6.56 billion (around 16% of the total), while reinvestments surpassed US$27.74 billion (nearly 68%). In other words, it seems companies already operating in Mexico are not just staying, they are expanding and doubling down on Mexico’s long-term potential. This signal matters as much as the arrival of fresh capital.  

Foreign investment usually drives manufacturing capacity, together with employment, innovation, and export competitiveness. For Mexico, the distinction between new capital and reinvested capital is relevant as fresh investment brings new technologies, new plants, and new jobs. Reinvested profits strengthen the ecosystem that is already here.

I believe the FDI increase arrives at a critical juncture: our export sector remains resilient despite global headwinds. This capital injection provides a unique opportunity to upgrade infrastructure, deepen value chains, and expand capacity beyond existing bottlenecks. In practical terms: better logistics corridors, modernized supply ecosystems, enhanced domestic content, and stronger integration across manufacturing, transportation, and trade.

The record FDI also arrives at a critical moment: While our external sector continues to show resilience, the broader Mexican economy is losing momentum. 
Our GDP contracted 0.19% quarter-on-quarter between July and September after a modest 0.4% expansion in the previous quarter, and posted a 0.2% annual decline. According to the latest data, our economy grew only 0.4% year-over-year between January and September. The Global Indicator of Economic Activity (IGAE) also shows a slowdown, registering a 0.6% contraction in September, its steepest drop since December 2024.

Mexico is showing signs of economic fatigue, most likely driven by both domestic factors and external uncertainty. That is why this record FDI is not just encouraging but strategically essential. The inflows arrive precisely when they can offset the slowdown, support productive capacity, and prevent a deeper deceleration.

However, we must manage these new investments with a long-term vision and not just celebrate them as isolated wins. The goal is not simply to attract capital, but to translate it into real development: higher productivity, better wages, stronger domestic value-add, technological transfer, market diversification, and reduced vulnerability to external shocks.

These particular times demand a clear national strategy. Foreign investment must translate into stronger logistics corridors, deeper supplier networks, workforce development, resilient supply chains, and policies that support these goals — incentives for domestic content, transparent rules, regulatory certainty, and an environment where SMEs can scale and participate meaningfully in global value chains. In other words, this new foreign capital, combined with domestic manufacturing and logistics efficiency, can become the foundation for solid, inclusive, and sustainable growth.

This historic FDI should not remain just a positive headline. It must become a lever for fundamental transformation. Mexico can lay the foundation for a more competitive, diversified, and resilient economy if we leverage this record FDI effectively. 

I truly believe our economy can withstand global volatility, as it showed resilience in 2025, while shaping its own trajectory for the future.