Strained Mexico-US relations will endure

Significance

While talks appear to have been cordial, the United States has since signalled a hardening of its position towards Mexico, announcing that it will challenge Mexico’s energy policies under the terms of the US Mexico-Canada Agreement on free trade (USMCA).

Impacts

• Electoral dynamics in both countries will complicate the management of bilateral relations.
• Migration containment and drug control will be increasingly prioritised as AMLO and Biden's presidential terms advance.
• Bilateral investment in border infrastructure could facilitate and expedite the legal cross-border movement of goods and people.