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EU - Mexico

The EU and Mexico signed an Economic Partnership, Political Co-ordination and Co-operation Agreement on 8 December 1997. This Agreement, which is also known as the “Global Agreement,” came into force on 1 October 2000. It covers a wide variety of issues and establishes a framework for strengthening political dialogue, increasing co-operation and liberalising trade between the two sides.

The trade provisions covered by the Global Agreement are subsequently contained in the following two Decisions of the EU-Mexico Joint Council, set up to oversee implementation of the Agreement:

• Decision 2/2000 contains the text of an EU-Mexico Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in goods. This was adopted on 23 March 2000 and entered into force on 1 July 2000. The FTA will liberalise over 96% of EU-Mexico trade by 2007. All Mexican industrial products enter the EU free of duty as of 1 January 2003. The majority of EU exports of industrial products to Mexico will also be duty free by that date. The remainder will only have to contend with a maximum tariff of 5% until 2007, when EU Mexican trade in industrial goods will be completely liberalised. The FTA also provides for substantial liberalisation of both sides agricultural and fishery products.
  
  
• Decision 2/2001 sets out the arrangements for the liberalisation of trade in services, the liberalisation of investment and related payments, the protection of intellectual property rights and the establishment of a dispute settlement mechanism. This Decision was adopted on 27 February 2001 and entered into force on 1 March 2001.

The EU is Mexico’s second largest trading partner after the US. These Decisions will help to give EU companies much the same access to the Mexican market as their NAFTA competitors and should give a substantial boost to EU-Mexican trade.

EU-Mexican relations are currently in a very positive phase; characterised by a close political dialogue, frequent high-level contacts, and solid trade and economic relations. Implementation of the Global Agreement (Association Agreement) is ongoing including negotiations for expanding the services, investment and agriculture components.

Please note that if you are looking for help with exporting from the UK you should contact UK Trade & Investment, the Government’s advice service to exporters and inward investors (see related links on right).

Contacts:

Andy Brady
Europe and World Trade
Tel: 0207 215 5778
Fax: 0207 215 2235
E-mail: Andrew.Brady@dti.gsi.gov.uk

Duncan Adams
Europe and World Trade
Tel: 0207 215 2761
Fax: 0207 215 2235
E-mail: Duncan.Adams@dti.gsi.gov.uk

Simon Collingwood
Europe and World Trade
Tel: 0207 215 5550
Fax:0207 215 2235
E-mail: Simon.Collingwood@dti.gsi.gov.uk