The increase in flows through global financial centers boosted global Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), which increased by 14% in 2025, reaching $1.6 trillion , revealed a report by the  United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) .

“More than $140 billion came from increased flows through global financial centers. Without these channeling flows, global FDI would have increased by only about 5 percent. This highlights the limited recovery of underlying investment activity,” UNCTAD explained in its latest Global Investment Trends Monitor .

According to the report, the value of international mergers and acquisitions fell 10% last year, while project financing decreased 16% in value and 12% in number of deals, marking the fourth consecutive year of declines.

Announcements of greenfield projects (those developed entirely from scratch) fell by 16%, and although total values ​​were high, there were a small number of megaprojects.

The report highlighted that FDI flows to developed economies increased by 43% , reaching $728 billion in 2025, driven by Europe and financial centers.

“The European Union experienced a 56% increase, due to large cross-border acquisitions and a recovery in major economies such as Germany, France and Italy,” the analysis detailed.

Conversely, flows to developing economies decreased by 2%, to $877 billion last year. Low-income countries were the most affected; “three-quarters of them registered stagnant or declining flows.”

The agency noted that international infrastructure projects fell 10%, due to a decline in renewable energy, as investors reassessed revenue risks and regulatory uncertainty.

UNCTAD also pointed out that data centers attracted more than a fifth of the value of global greenfield projects in 2025 , with announced investment exceeding $270 billion, driven by artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure and digital networks.

“France, the United States and the Republic of Korea topped the list of host countries, while emerging markets such as Brazil, India, Thailand and Malaysia also attracted large projects,” the report stated, noting that the value of semiconductor projects increased by 35% during the period.

Despite this scenario, the United Nations agency estimated that FDI flows could increase “modestly” in 2026 only if financing conditions continue to improve and cross-border mergers and acquisitions pick up.

“However, real investment activity is likely to remain subdued, hampered by geopolitical tensions, political uncertainty, and economic fragmentation. Without coordinated action, global investment risks becoming even more concentrated in a few regions and sectors,” he concluded.

In Mexico, although the Ministry of Economy has not yet released the 2025 FDI ​​figure, data from the agency itself indicate that in the  third quarter of 2025 (3Q25) FDI was 40,906 million dollars , a 15% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

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Trade tensions, geopolitical uncertainty and high interest rates kept investors cautious, resulting in a 3% drop in global Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the first half of 2025 (1H25) , the  United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) revealed .

The decline was driven by developed economies, where cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&A) fell 18% to $173 billion, according to the organization’s latest Global Investment Trends Report .

Overall, developing economies performed better, with flows remaining stable. “However, trends diverged by region. Capital inflows increased by 12% in Latin America and the Caribbean and by 7% in developing countries in Asia, but fell by 42% in Africa,” UNCTAD noted.

On the other hand, high borrowing costs and economic uncertainty continued to hold back investment in industry and infrastructure during the first half of 2025.

“Announcements of projects from scratch fell 17%, due to a 29% decrease in supply chain-intensive manufacturing , such as textiles, electronics and automotive, amid tariff uncertainty,” the analysis detailed.

Meanwhile, international project financing saw an 11% decrease in the number of transactions and an 8% decrease in their value.

The trend was more positive in developing economies, where project finance operations fell by only 2% after two years of sharp declines.

Meanwhile, the value of global investment in new plans increased by 7% , driven by major projects in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the digital economy .

“The United States recorded $237 billion in new green infrastructure projects in the first half of 2025, a figure that almost equals the total for 2024 and quadruples the average for the first half of the previous decade. More than half of this value came from AI-related sectors, particularly semiconductors and data centers,” the UNCTAD report stated.

Investment projects related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in developing countries fell by 10% in number and 7% in value at the beginning of 2025, following sharp declines in the previous year.

UNCTAD explained that internationally financed projects, including transport and utilities, remained approximately 25% below the decade average, while new construction infrastructure activity fell 31% in value and 25% in number, led by sharp contractions in Latin America and the Caribbean (-78% in value and -43% in number).

The United Nations report indicated that investment in renewable energy also weakened .

“Globally, international financing for projects in the sector fell by 9% in number and 10% in value. Global projects for new renewable energy installations also decreased by 55% in number and 21% in value. In developing economies, projects fell by 23%. In the least developed countries, the decrease was 31% in number and 18% in value,” he noted.

UNCTAD anticipated that geopolitical tensions, regional conflicts, economic fragmentation and efforts to reduce risks in supply chains will continue to affect capital flows for the remainder of 2025.

“Even so, the easing of financial conditions, the increase in mergers and acquisitions activity in the third quarter and the greater overseas spending by sovereign wealth funds could support a modest recovery by the end of the year ,” the agency estimated.

It is worth remembering that, during the second quarter of 2025 (2Q25), Mexico attracted a new all-time high in FDI, with 34 billion 265 million dollars , which meant an increase of 10.2% compared to the same period in 2024, when it was 31 billion 096 million dollars.

36% of FDI went to the manufacturing sector . “Financial services also stand out with 26.7%, followed by construction and mining with 7.6% and 7.2%, respectively,” the Ministry of Economy (SE) emphasized .

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The uncertainty generated by the imposition of tariffs by the United States on its trading partners has forced global companies to reconsider their investments in countries that could be affected, which is why mergers and acquisitions transactions, known as M&A, are presented as a tool for firms seeking to face the current geopolitical environment.

According to an analysis by partners at the law firm Baker McKenzie , in the case of Mexico, the trend is expanding and has begun to be observed in companies that are seeking mergers and acquisitions transactions to reduce their exposure to the Mexican market, but without abandoning it completely.

In this regard, and despite the challenges of trade, natural resources and security, several companies are choosing to stay in Mexico, among other reasons, due to the geographic proximity to our northern neighbor, which is an advantage for sectors that depend on on-time delivery systems, and reduced shipping costs.

Another factor is that Mexico benefits from several trade agreements that go beyond the treaty it has with the United States and Canada, known as T-MEC, including pacts with the European Union and Japan, and access to public procurement by the United States government under the Trade Agreements Act .

In addition, Mexico has a skilled and experienced workforce in various manufacturing sectors, especially automotive and electronics. The availability of qualified personnel and competitive labor costs also continue to attract companies despite the existing problems.

According to the analysis, M&A in regions less affected by tariffs allows, among other factors, a diversification of the supply chain by reducing dependence on a single market. In addition, cost efficiency , as well as market expansion .

In this sense, it is important to observe the impact that this trend will have on the development of the relocation of companies in Mexico ( nearshoring ), specifically with the threat of tariffs on automotive products, as well as agricultural products.

According to the firm’s specialists, in cases where multinational companies are staying in the countries where they operate, they are abandoning expansion plans or diversifying production elsewhere to reduce dependence on jurisdictions exposed to the United States, in order to create a more resilient supply chain .

“The cost and complexity of relocating established operations can bring exorbitant costs, making it more viable to manage and mitigate existing risks rather than uproot and move,” the company said in a statement.

The firm noted that several industries, such as technology, automotive and consumer goods, are leading the relocation of their manufacturing from China.

“Companies that have long relied on Chinese manufacturing are now exploring alternatives in Southeast Asia and India,” he said.

The study pointed out that small and medium-sized companies are also taking advantage of mergers and acquisitions to reposition themselves in a more favorable business environment.

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According to various media, manufacturers Honda and Nissan are reportedly preparing for a possible merger , with both firms seeking closer collaboration to pool their resources and strengthen their position in the global automotive industry , and confront electric car manufacturers.

The two major Japanese automakers are expected to operate under a joint parent company , with plans to sign a memorandum of understanding to discuss shared equity stakes in the new merged entity.

In Mexico, both firms have shown optimal performance, according to figures from the Administrative Registry of the Light Vehicle Automotive Industry (RAIAVL) of the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) .

So far this year, the industry established in Mexico has exported 3,213,132 units , of which 213,673 vehicles have been of the Honda brand, representing 6.6% of the share. Meanwhile, Nissan has sent 421,407 units abroad, equivalent to 13.1 percent. The share of both brands in exports is 19.8 percent.

Sentra is Nissan’s most exported vehicle, with 187,918 units, and the HR-V is Honda’s most exported vehicle, with 156,665 units, in the cumulative period from January to November 2024.

So far in 2024, car sales total 1,350,362 vehicles, of which 38,418 are from Honda and 229,883 from Nissan.

The Versa is Nissan’s best-selling vehicle with 83,551 units and the CR-V is Honda’s best-selling SUV with 10,746.

In terms of production, so far in 2024 the industry has added 3,764,490 vehicles , of which 165,349 were from Honda, while Nissan contributed 636,145 units.

The share of both brands in this category was 20.2%, with 759,377 units produced. Nissan’s most manufactured vehicle was the Sentra , with 191,480 cars produced in the period.

The purpose of this merger would be aimed at confronting Chinese manufacturers of electric vehicles and the American firm Tesla, who have an advantage in this market worldwide, according to several media outlets referring to the Japanese media Nikkei .

According to the Mexican Automotive Industry Association (AMIA) , Honda has six plants: two for vehicles, with an annual production capacity of 384,290 units ; as well as two for engines and two for transmissions.

Nissan has three plants, where it manufactures around 750,108 vehicles a year. It also has a facility where it manufactures engines, where it produces 747,000 units annually.

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The logistics sector in Mexico and Latin America is in constant evolution and is undergoing a moment of transformation marked by strategic business and sales that is redefining the panorama of transport and logistics , consolidating as an attractive market for international inversion.

In July, UPS , one of the largest logistics companies in the United States, recognized that it entered into an acquisition to acquire an Estafeta , a Mexican company in package services and logistics projects, an action that resulted in a key pieza in its strategy to be expanded his presence in Mexico.

In October, Grupo Traxión , the second largest transport group in Mexico, decided to contact the inversionist community that firmed an acquisition for the acquisition of Solistica , the logistics trading unit of FEMSA .

In this regard, Ricardo Kumar Dadoo, founder of Clarendon and founder of Logistics Dadoo , explained to T21 that these movements are due to different regions and strategies within globalization, as Walmart acquired the market in the market . of Libre Comercio del América Norte (TLCAN) , the same thing that transformed the minority distribution in Mexico.

Before this panorama, Sandra Aragonez, president of the National Council of Ejecutivos en Logística y Cadena de Suministro (ConaLog) , signals that these movements respond to marketing dynamics that reflect a continued process of consolidation and competition.

“These transactions have no sole impact on the companies involved, but they also reconfigure the Mexican and Latin American market”, comment.

Aldo López, vice-president of Commercial at Onest Smart Logistics , refuses this perspective to signal that Mexico is positioned as a highly attractive market for international inversionists.

“Large companies come to Mexico with a unique growth opportunity, so you can acquire stable businesses…

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