Japanese companies increase interest in investing in Mexico

Japan's ambassador to Mexico, Kozo Honsei, revealed that he receives up to three inquiries a day from Japanese companies interested in investing in key sectors of the country such as the automotive, food, e-commerce, and renewable energy industries.

"Every day, two or three companies ask about Mexico. There is clear interest, but many are waiting for the outcome of the USMCA negotiations and the tariff situation with the United States," Honsei said.

Japan is the leading Asian investor in Mexico, with more than US$38 billion accumulated, according to the Ministry of Economy. In 2024 alone, bilateral trade exceeded US$23 billion.

The growing interest has intensified since the tariff threats during Donald Trump's administration, which prompted Mexican state governments and business leaders to seek closer ties with Japan.

One of the most concrete efforts is that of the government of San Luis Potosí, which announced a trade mission to Tokyo before the end of 2025, with the aim of attracting investment and establishing the first state trade office in Japan.

The head of Sedeco, Jesús Salvador González Martínez, said they will meet with executives from Daikin.

For their part, Mexican businesspeople affiliated with Coparmex visited Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo as part of a 10-day mission to establish strategic alliances with companies such as Panasonic, Fujifilm, Omron, and NTT DOCOMO. They also participated in business leadership and technological innovation forums.

“At Toyobo, we learned about diversification and resilience; at Panasonic, we confirmed how a quality-focused philosophy can transform a local operation into a global brand,” said Armando Zúñiga, vice president of communications at Coparmex.

With the support of organizations such as JETRO Mexico and AOTS, Mexico seeks to strengthen its position as a strategic platform for Japanese investment in the Americas.