The European Union has cleared the way to sign two sweeping agreements with Mexico, in a move widely read as both sides seeking shelter from US President Donald Trump’s trade offensive.
The Council of the European Union, representing the 27 member states, authorised the signing of the EU-Mexico Modernised Global Agreement (MGA) and an interim Trade Agreement (iTA) on May 11, 2026, according to the Council.
The deals are due to be signed at the first EU-Mexico summit in 11 years, scheduled for May 22, 2026 in Mexico City. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa are expected to attend.
The two agreements would replace the framework that has governed relations since 2000. The Council authorised the opening of modernisation talks in 2016, and negotiations concluded on January 17, 2025.
The Modernised Global Agreement broadens cooperation into security, climate, investment and critical raw materials, the European Commission said. The interim Trade Agreement, to be signed by EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič and Mexican Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard, would take effect immediately and liberalise trade ahead of full ratification.
The MGA still requires the consent of the European Parliament and ratification by all member states and Mexico before it can fully enter into force.
Brussels has presented the package as a boost for European business. The Commission said the agreements would benefit more than 45,000 EU companies that export to Mexico, the large majority of them small and medium-sized firms. The deal would also protect 568 European food and drink products carrying Geographical Indications, making it illegal to sell imitations in Mexico.
Bilateral trade between the two sides reached around €86.8 billion in 2025, a sharp rise over the past decade. The EU is Mexico’s third-biggest trading partner, while Mexico is the EU’s second-largest trading partner in Latin America.
The agreement also secures tariff-free access to critical raw materials. Mexico supplies about 33 per cent of the EU’s fluorspar, used in steel and aluminium production, and holds reserves of antimony, copper, zinc and lead, the Commission said.
The timing is significant. Both sides have pushed to lock in the deal as the Trump administration has pressed ahead with tariff threats against trading partners, including the EU and Mexico. Mexico, which sends the bulk of its exports to the US, has sought to diversify its trade, while Brussels has looked to broaden its network of partners as the trans-Atlantic relationship has come under strain.
The deal targets a 50 per cent increase in Mexican exports to the EU by 2030, the Mexican government said.
