Mexico, France Explore Agrifood Trade Under New Agreement

6 days ago

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By MBN Staff | MBN staff – Fri, 10/02/2026 – 13:35 Idioma Leer en Español DIA assistant 1.0x ✕

Columba López, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER), met with Nicolas Forissier, France's Minister of Foreign Trade, to discuss opportunities under the Modernized Global Agreement between Mexico and the European Union to expand and diversify bilateral agrifood trade. Both delegations agreed on the importance of a more balanced and mutually beneficial agrifood trade that creates concrete opportunities for small- and medium-scale producers.

López highlighted the export potential the agreement offers for Mexican products such as coffee, avocado, berries, mango, papaya, lime, banana, and honey, which could reach a market of more than 450 million consumers. However, she stressed that trade preferences must be supported by reciprocal progress on sanitary and regulatory matters, since tariff reductions alone do not guarantee market access when phytosanitary requirements and certification procedures persist.

López also reaffirmed Mexico's interest in continuing the dialogue with the European Union on organic products to expand opportunities for farmers. This is particularly relevant for smaller producers, for whom certification and compliance costs can be an additional barrier.

The meeting comes at a key moment for Mexico-EU trade relations. The Modernized Global Agreement, signed in May 2026, updates a trade framework in place since 2000 and includes new provisions on trade facilitation, rules of origin, and sanitary and phytosanitary measures. The European Parliament approved the agreement in July, and only Mexico's corresponding procedure remains for its trade component to enter into force, according to Mexico's Ministry of Economy.

In 2025, trade between Mexico and the European Union reached US$88.3 billion, while Mexican exports to the bloc totalled US$23.8 billion. The EU remained Mexico's third-largest trading partner and its second-largest export market after the United States. Trade between both parties has quadrupled over the past 25 years, according to the joint declaration of the May bilateral summit.

As part of the commemoration of 200 years of diplomatic relations, López and Delphine Borione, French Ambassador to Mexico, signed a Letter of Intent to strengthen cooperation between the agrifood authorities of both countries. The instrument will deepen knowledge exchange in innovation, sustainable agriculture, fisheries, and aquaculture, and promote research, technology transfer, and capacity building. Both parties agreed to define a roadmap with concrete projects, building on existing cooperation in agroecology, sustainable production, rural development, and fisheries.

The agreement builds on recent bilateral collaboration. During a colloquium on sustainable agriculture organized by SADER, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, and the French Embassy, both countries highlighted joint projects focused on agroecological production, rural women, and community capacities. These include AgroEcoBio-Mx, which has held 36 workshops, systematized 45 Field Schools across nine states and strengthened the capacities of at least 1,500 community promoters. SADER's Field Schools operate in 28 states and have trained more than 171,000 producers in agroecological practices.