Office of the President of Mexico

U.S. Ambassador in Mexico Christopher Landau and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in 2019.

MEXICO CITY — Business groups and the U.S. government have been pressuring the Mexican president to allow certain industries to operate again during the pandemic, while opening the border for some workers. And Mexico’s president says an agreement is coming. 

Organizations from both sides of the border are pushing Mexico to reopen industries that play a crucial role in the bilateral supply chain, such as the auto and aerospace sectors. 

The U.S. ambassador in Mexico and the Pentagon have urged Mexico to allow suppliers to operate. And some Mexican companies fear being replaced by U.S.-based providers.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said he supports the USMCA trade agreement with Canada and the U.S.

The president stated both Mexico and the U.S. need each other, making it impossible to shut down the border entirely.

López Obrador said negotiations are focused on ways to reopen the auto industry, as well as allowing migrant farmworkers from Mexico to enter the U.S.