LATAM Cargo has begun accelerating its runway for 2026. The airline is planning a year focused on capitalizing on the network it consolidated in 2025 —with routes from Brazil to Europe—and on continuing to leverage its operations through passenger aircraft, a segment it recognizes as “a very attractive market.” For Mexico, however, no new routes are anticipated, although there is the possibility of adjusting frequencies based on demand.

“The Mexican market is very interesting. Currently, we serve with wide-body passenger aircraft connecting with South America and some freighters operating over Mexico City. We are always open to exploring opportunities, but it needs to be a very robust market. It is attractive, but very competitive, but we have no plans beyond adding some cargo flights in response to customer demand,” says Andrés Bianchi, CEO of LATAM Cargo Group.

In an interview with T21, the executive acknowledged that the Mexican market has undergone significant adjustments . One of the most notable has been the decrease in demand between Mexico and Brazil; however, he assured that, should a recovery occur, the company would be in a position to reactivate additional flights, particularly to Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) .

In this context, he explains that most of the cargo handled by the airline is transported on passenger flights arriving at Mexico City International Airport (AICM) . “The adjustment was due to demand issues; we believe our value proposition for domestic flights is quite good, and we are always looking for ways to improve it,” he states.

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Over the past five years, Latin America has made progress in sustainable mobility, with Chile being the country with the most actions in this area; however, some issues remain, such as the regulatory framework and carrying out profitable projects and infrastructure , according to industry specialists.

Lala Céspedes, CEO & Co-founder of Singular City , said that while the model of fleet electrification , the use of clean energy, and other issues that contribute to sustainable mobility are evolving within the region, in Argentina, for example, despite the openness of the market, financing, and public policies, a regulatory framework that provides solidity to the projects is still required .

“To be competitive regionally, we need to plan for that next step, to plan for that solidity for companies that are going to invest and become a benchmark, to have an initial capital expenditure within a model structure. We are in a growth process, that’s from Argentina, but we do see that regionally it is increasingly necessary to define a regulatory framework with stakeholders from the entire value chain,” he explained in the webinar LATAM: Roadmap 2026 for Mobility and Energy .

He also pointed out the need to identify profitable projects, plan them and implement them, because in Latin America there are several pilot tests, “but they are not clearly aligned as a region, as micro-regions.”

He indicated that Chile is leading the way in public policy , with a long-term perspective, to implement systems, while Colombia has strengthened the contractual system, Brazil has made progress with electric or hybrid vehicles, but a more macro “view” like that of Europe is required and “not to be like little lights, each one exploring and being regional laboratories.”

Meanwhile, Alex Ascón, senior consultant at Urban Wave , mentioned that the technology used in these types of units is already validated, and that vehicle prices are now more accessible than they were five years ago due to the significant presence of Chinese brands in Latin America.

“We see that the biggest gap that would accelerate progress in Peru is the charging infrastructure , which continues to be one of the areas where investment is said to be very high compared to other technologies. The vehicle itself is no longer the main obstacle; Chinese brands are the ones that have managed to moderate prices,” he stated.

He stressed that having an infrastructure plan like Chile’s would help to boost this sector in the rest of the countries in the region.

For her part, Pamela Peña, BD Manager Smart Mobility at Hiberus, stated that what is “moving the needle” this year is the direct subsidy , but also legal certainty and standardization in the region.

He said that countries like Chile have worked on interoperability, allowing any user to use the charging infrastructure across the network, becoming a facilitator and “eliminating the fear of autonomy”; in addition, there is significant private investment.

“We have a large fleet, certainly not comparable to Brazil’s, which is immense, or Mexico’s, but it’s not a small fleet, and we also have a fairly limited fleet turnover; companies don’t usually keep their fleets for more than two to four years at most, and that gives a different perspective to all the variables we have to consider. This democratization of sustainable mobility allows SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) to also renew their fleets, which is a vital point for logistics. Another interesting point is the financing options available for buses, especially in cities like Bogotá and Mexico City,” he stated.

In that sense, he anticipated that by 2026 the market for light electric vehicles in Chile and the region is expected to reach a historic milestone of penetration due to regulations that the countries have in common .

Meanwhile, Israel Galván, senior business developer at Autocab , explained that in Mexico there are tax benefits, such as exemption from tax payments, verifications, and the adoption of the natural gas conversion option.

“In some ways we are making progress, and being a country with a lot of technology, we are learning from the Chilean and Brazilian models. The government has also been promoting the electrification of vehicles. We are moving forward,” he emphasized.

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In 2025, marked by trade uncertainty stemming from tariffs imposed by the United States, imported light vehicles of Chinese origin consolidated a 20.1% share of the Mexican market , with 306,351 units sold

With these figures, China reaffirmed its position as the main source of light vehicles in Mexico , surpassing its competitors such as the United States, which only reached 8.3% market share in Mexico with 126,204 units sold.

Brazil ranked third with 7.7% , selling 117,806 units; followed by India, with a 7.3% share , totaling 111,174 units, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) .

An analysis by T21 Business Intelligence identified that brands with units imported from China to Mexico had mixed performance in 2025. General Motors (GM) showed its leadership in the sector, despite a slight annual decline of 3.6% , registering 126,946 units sold.

MG Motor positioned itself in second place, although it registered the steepest drop with a negative variation of 18.8% , placing 48,816 units in Mexico in 2025.

Meanwhile, KIA and Geely stood out for their dynamism last year. KIA registered a 9.1% increase , selling 29,541 Chinese-made vehicles in the country; while Geely had the most significant increase, at 237.4% , reaching 22,258 units.

Regarding models imported from China, the best-selling in 2025 was the Chevrolet Aveo, from GM, with 61,066 units . It was followed by the MG5, from MG Motor, with 21,132 units sold, and the Chevrolet Tornado Van, also from GM, with 18,982 units sold.

In Mexico , 1,524,722 light vehicles were sold in 2025 , of which 925,736 units were imported , a slight growth of 0.1% compared to 2024.

In this context, China reaffirmed its central role in the sector, despite a 1.3% contraction compared to 2014, when it registered 310,662 units. This performance anticipates a competitive realignment in the Mexican market , where it is estimated that Chinese-made vehicles will continue to expand their presence, despite a complex trade environment.

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Brazil, Argentina and Peru led passenger traffic in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) last June, while Mexico fell slightly, reported the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA ) .

According to its latest report, traffic reached 38.3 million travelers , a year-over-year increase of 3.4%, equivalent to 1.3 million additional users, accelerating the growth rate by 0.8 percentage points compared to May.

The overall increase in traffic in the region was driven primarily by the performance of LAC-based airlines, which, according to the latest report from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) , recorded the largest traffic growth globally in June.

“Air traffic growth in Latin America and the Caribbean during the first half of 2025 demonstrates sustained dynamism. More than 90% of this net passenger growth came from markets within the region itself, confirming the increasingly active role of aviation in regional integration. During the same period, LAC airlines operated 11.2% more international flights between countries in the region than in the first half of 2024,” said Peter Cerdá, CEO of ALTA.

The agency explained that Brazil recorded its fourth consecutive record-breaking month in domestic traffic . In June, 8.22 million passengers flew within the country, an 11.2% year-over-year increase. Air transport remains the service category with the greatest deflation year-to-date.

“Domestic connectivity in Brazil continues to improve. In June 2025, 43 routes were operational within Brazil that had not been operated since the same month in 2024. These include: Viracopos-Porto Alegre, Belo Horizonte-Rio de Janeiro, and Aracaju-Salvador. In the international segment, it grew 12.8% year-over-year, driven by a 35% increase in international tourist arrivals by air,” he emphasized.

While Argentina was the market with the highest percentage growth in the sixth month of the year, with year-over-year increases of 12% in the domestic segment and 14% in the international segment, total traffic reached a new all-time high, surpassing the year-over-year record by 3%.

Peru showed one of the strongest performances in the region . In that month, it reached a record high in domestic traffic, with 1.3 million passengers, an increase of 5.2%, while international traffic grew 8.3%, with good results in markets such as Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico. “This growth was accompanied by a year-over-year reduction in prices for both domestic and international air transport services.”

In Mexico, ALTA reported a slight drop in total traffic due to weaker international performance . During the period, 9.8 million passengers flew, a 0.4% year-over-year decrease in a context of lower consumer confidence, whose index fell 1.1 points compared to May.

“Domestic traffic grew slightly (+0.2%), while international traffic, which represents 47% of the total, fell 1%. The United States accounted for 73% of Mexico’s international traffic and registered a 2.1% decline, driven primarily by a 3.6% drop in passengers carried by U.S. airlines,” he detailed.

Meanwhile, traffic growth with Canada of 12.4% partially offset this contraction . Total capacity offered by Mexican airlines, measured in ASK (available seat kilometers), remained relatively stable. However, in June they allocated a greater proportion to the international segment.

ALTA reported that mixed performance was recorded in Colombia and Chile. Domestic traffic in the former fell 4.7%, marking five consecutive months of decline and a cumulative decline of 2.1% in the first half of the year. In contrast, international traffic grew 9.2%, driven primarily by traffic with countries such as Brazil and Peru. In Chile, domestic traffic grew 4.2%, after two consecutive months of decline, while international traffic grew 2.5%.

Regarding traffic to and from the Caribbean, the organization reported a 0.9% year-over-year increase in June , reflecting mixed signals among the major markets. In the Dominican Republic, the largest market in the subregion and the eighth largest in LAC, passenger traffic increased 1.2%, despite declines in its two largest markets, the United States and Canada, which have seen six consecutive months of decline.

Air traffic in Central America grew 4.2% year-over-year , driven primarily by Panama, which registered a 6% increase, with significant increases in connections with Argentina, Colombia, and Brazil. In contrast, Costa Rica saw marginal growth of 0.9%, amid a slower tourism boom.

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Brazilian-based Natura has begun developing suppliers in Mexico as part of its growth strategy in the country, but also because of the potential impacts of tariffs imposed by the United States government.

Adrián Soto, the company’s Acquisitions Leader, mentioned that it is necessary to “be ready” to have different supply chain sources for when external cases arise that may affect our rates, since one of its main lines, body splash , has an American firm as its main supplier.

For this reason, for two years they have developed a strategy to have local suppliers with a social impact and at a very competitive cost.

“If we have a tax, a tariff and we need to make a change, we are ready. The strategy of having pre-validated or already validated suppliers is extremely important, we need to be very proactive and react at the moment,” he said.

In this regard, he assured that they are developing local suppliers in a “strong and sustainable” way , as they also seek to bring various products that are currently manufactured in their plants in Brazil to Mexico. “Today the company has a plant in Celaya and we are making every effort to fill it with products.”

In an interview with T21, he explained that the supplier’s focus is on packaging with a sustainable chain and products that are environmentally friendly, “which allows us to better handle potential risks with the United States.”

He explained that a large amount of packaging they use comes from Brazil, which implies longer delivery times as well as higher costs, which is why this strategy was considered since Avon’s integration with Natura.

“Packaging costs will decrease, but so will the carbon footprint. The less freight there is between countries, that will help us in terms of sustainability,” he said.

He said that the transport of supplies is done by sea, and only in case of emergency is air transport used.

“Any disruptive movement in the chain due to a logistical or political issue, or even a war, extends the timeframe. Last year we had very strong floods in Brazil and this saturated the ports because we had to move to other places, which delayed our deliveries, we had failures. Therefore, we had to make a more precise plan, with inventory coverage, that is why one of the strategies is local production,” he reiterated.

In this regard, he said that they will seek to increase production in Mexico by 30% to 40% , which depends on the development of suppliers, compliance with the company’s specifications and meeting volume goals.

“The company is doing quite well and we hope that this year will be the year we expect for the company,” he said.

Currently, only six Natura products are produced at the Celaya plant , so the goal for this year will be to increase this number.

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By the end of 2024, the Brazilian market will represent up to 8% of animal protein imports in Mexico, however, greater commercial reciprocity between both markets is necessary for the benefit of the Mexican consumer, reported the Agricultural Markets Consulting Group (GCMA) .

“Public policies such as the Package Against Inflation and High Costs (PACIC) have allowed for greater competitiveness in the prices of Mexican meat. However, in order to consolidate greater commercial reciprocity between Mexico and Brazil, for the benefit of the Mexican consumer, international agreements must be promoted that guarantee access to the markets of both countries, under similar conditions; as well as maintaining import quotas, to protect national production,” said Juan Carlos Anaya Castellanos, general director of GCMA.

The SuKarne Advisor also mentioned that in 2022, Brazil only accounted for 5% of animal protein imports to Mexico, in 2023 it grew to 7%, which translates into an increasing share of Brazilian meat in the Mexican market.

“But we must continue to promote greater trade integration, because it is still far from what the United States represents, which accounts for up to 79% of imports,” said Anaya during his participation in the Mexico-Brazil Business Forum, organized by the Mexican Business Council for Foreign Trade, Investment and Technology (COMCE) and the Brazilian Embassy in Mexico.

In a statement, the agency mentioned that according to data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA ), Brazil is one of the main powers in the meat industry , being the second largest producer of beef and chicken; and the third largest producer of pork worldwide.

In the case of Mexico, the USDA projected that by the end of 2024, the country will consolidate its position as the sixth largest producer of beef in the world, the fifth largest producer of chicken, and the seventh largest producer of pork; a product of which more than 45% of national consumption is currently imported.

Currently, SuKarne is the largest exporter and importer of Mexican animal protein, the third largest fattener in the world in number of cattle heads and the fifth largest supplier of beef in North America.

In the Brazilian market, the company is at the forefront of agricultural and commercial integration, being the leading importer of beef, the fourth largest importer of chicken and the 15th largest importer of pork.

SuKarne’s participation in the Mexico-Brazil Business Forum took place at the Club de Industriales, with the presence of the President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva. The event aimed to promote bilateral integration of leading companies in various sectors.

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The Latin American dream: greater integration. The two largest economies in this region hope to increase their trade ties , a bilateral project that has been promoted in recent decades but has not made substantial progress due to the protectionist policies of both countries.

Business representatives from Brazil and Mexico met on Monday to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that seeks to promote cooperation to strengthen trade relations, establish the bases for the organization of trade missions and the development of trade promotion actions to generate new business opportunities .

The signing of this MoU took place between the Brazilian Export and Import Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) and the Mexican Business Council for Foreign Trade, Investment and Technology (Comce) , during the Mexico-Brazil Business Forum event.

“I believe that Brazil and Mexico have not taken advantage of their full potential. We must work together on an equitable trade relationship, where everyone wins. I am convinced that we can achieve great things together, but we must sit down and talk, see what is good for Mexico and for Brazil, and act accordingly,” said Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, president of Brazil, who attended the forum.

The trade opportunity for both economies is broad, although the exchange of goods between the two largest economies in Latin America is barely 2% of their total trade. In the case of Mexico, its foreign trade is focused on its relationship with the United States and Canada, where just over 80% of products are exported, while Brazil has built a very solid trade exchange with China over the last few years.

Currently, Mexico and Brazil have signed two Economic Complementation Agreements (ACE), 53 and 55 , the latter focused on the automotive industry, for which there have been rounds of negotiations in the recent past to deepen trade opportunities without progress so far; even the most optimistic have proposed the signing of a free trade agreement.

Brazil is Mexico’s main trading partner in Latin America, as well as the leading export destination and the leading supplier of Mexican imports from the region.

Lula da Silva said he was hopeful of making progress on this project with Mexico after the change in the federal government, where the country’s first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum , will take office .

“We are going to have a very close relationship,” said Marcelo Ebrard, the Secretary of Economy appointed by the next federal administration, who was present at the event and stressed the political will that is currently being shown to advance closer trade relations with Brazil.

For his part, Jorge Viana, president of ApexBrasil, indicated that the agreement between both countries would be an opportunity to help trade in neighboring Latin American countries .

Francisco Cervantes, president of the Business Coordinating Council (CCE) , mentioned that a new moment is being experienced between both countries with an “enormous potential to build this international bridge. With this rapprochement and exchange, the path continues to be built so that these two economies continue to grow closer with will and cooperation.”

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In order to strengthen and diversify the competitiveness of the Mexican automotive sector in Latin American markets , the National Agency of Automotive Sector Suppliers (Anapsa) and the Spanish global internationalization consultancy How2Go will carry out a trade mission of the Mexican automotive industry to Brazil.

The mission will take place from December 3 to 7 of this year and also seeks to deepen the Economic Complementation Agreement No. 55 (ACE 55) , which regulates trade in this industry between Brazil and Mexico, and in which the new phase of the agreement and its implementation will be discussed, which aims to eliminate tariff barriers, promoting greater integration of regional production chains .

“ACE 55 is essential for the growth and integration of the automotive sector in Mexico and Brazil. We believe that its implementation in the coming years will be key to ensuring more fluid and competitive trade between both nations,” said Alberto Bustamante, general director of Anapsa.

The mission also aims to increase Mexican exports in the sector by 2025, the organization said in a statement.

“Meetings with buyers in Brazil will offer Mexican companies the opportunity to open new lines of business and diversify their export markets,” said Ayin Decer, director of How2Go Mexico.

As part of the mission’s agenda, which also aims to facilitate strategic meetings between Mexican companies and Brazilian buyers, meetings will be held with Brazilian government actors and regulatory bodies, “in order to align trade policies that favor the competitiveness and development of the Mexican automotive sector in Brazil .”

During his participation, Marcelo Vitali , director of How2Go in Brazil, highlighted the importance of this collaboration.

“How2Go, with its own offices in 11 countries, including Mexico and Brazil, is proud to be a strategic partner in this trade mission, supporting Anapsa in identifying and consolidating new opportunities in Brazil,” he said. ACE 55 “is key to boosting the sustainable growth of automotive exports between both countries.”

In 2023, the main sale of vehicles from Mexico to Brazil was of cars and other vehicles designed primarily for the transportation of people , which had a value of 677 million dollars (mdd) , according to the DataMéxico portal of the Ministry of Economy .

Meanwhile, in July 2024, Mexico’s main sale to that nation was parts and accessories for motor vehicles for an amount of 67.6 million dollars , the same portal reported.

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