As part of the second edition of the National Made in Italy Day, Mexican and Italian officials reaffirmed the economic relationship between the two nations, with an emphasis on the industrial machinery sector and the modernization of the Global Agreement between Mexico and the European Union, which highlights the elimination of tariffs .
At the event, Alessandro Modiano, Italian ambassador to Mexico, noted that Mexico is the leading destination for Italian imports in the entire American continent , with the exception of the United States, where the leading sector of these exports is industrial machinery, accounting for nearly 40 percent.
The diplomat highlighted the importance of diversification as a “key word” in the context of turbulence in international trade , and in this context, Mexico has been included on a list of priority countries for the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs .
For his part, Francisco André, the European Union ambassador to Mexico, detailed the new Global Agreement between the country and the European Union, which will be signed in early 2026, where he highlighted the elimination of tariffs in all sectors .
“In particular, this agreement will eliminate tariffs across all sectors. Tariffs, which unfortunately are a word we hear more often than we’d like, are a term we hear these days. But while some are raising tariffs, our modernized agreement will eliminate them by nearly 100 percent,” he declared.
He also indicated that the agreement seeks to protect European Union investments in Mexico, and noted that the region is the second-largest investor in the country and the second-largest export destination, generating around six million jobs in Mexico. He also emphasized that of the 50,000 European Union companies that export to the country , 10,000 are Italian, and 80% are small and medium-sized enterprises.
For his part, Sergio Contreras, executive president of the Mexican Business Council for Foreign Trade, Investment, and Technology (COMCE) , stated that Mexico, as a leading country in various industries, including the automotive industry, requires high-precision machinery to drive its growth . As a major buyer of Italian machinery, he stated, “it reflects the country’s potential to incorporate innovation into its production processes.”
For her part, María De Haas Matamoros, Director General of International Relations at the Ministry of Economy , highlighted the similarities between the “Made in Mexico” program and Made in Italy , noting that both are more than seals of origin, as they represent the essence of creativity, ingenuity, and the ability to transform tradition into innovation.
During the event, which took place at the residence of the Italian ambassador to Mexico, the Ingenium report by the Confindustria Study Center was presented , highlighting the importance of Latin America in the context of the reconfiguration of trade flows. Between 2018 and 2023 alone, Italian machinery exports to the region grew 6.7% annually; and Mexico is the main buyer of high-tech Italian machinery in Latin America .
Comment and follow us on X: @miroslavacs / @GrupoT21
