Mexico arrived in New York with a paradox on the table: the country is experiencing a record moment in foreign direct investment (FDI), but most of these resources do not represent new capital entering the country.
During the first half of 2026, Mexico captured $34.968 billion in FDI, the highest amount recorded for a comparable period. However, 88.5% corresponded to reinvestment of earnings, shifting the challenge from retaining capital already in the country to persuading new investors to allocate resources to companies, infrastructure, and productive projects.
Against this backdrop, the Institutional Stock Exchange (BIVA) held the seventh edition of Mexico Investment Week in New York, bringing together Mexican authorities, business leaders, financial institutions, multilateral organizations, and investors to discuss the necessary conditions for turning international interest in Mexico into new capital flows.
The agenda highlighted several key issues that will shape the next stage of the U.S.-Mexico economic relationship: the future of the USMCA, North American productive integration, the development of capital, fixed income, and credit markets, as well as investment opportunities in energy, water, and infrastructure.
The effort is highly relevant to the Mexican financial market because the challenge of attracting additional investment goes beyond traditional foreign direct investment. It also involves the country’s capacity to channel institutional and private capital toward long-term projects and leverage the stock market as an additional financing source.
From Interest to New Capital Flows
Concrete signals of market appetite for Mexico emerged during the event. René Saúl, CEO and co-founder of Kapital Bank, announced a $125 million funding round in equity and debt, raising the company’s valuation to $2 billion and establishing it, according to information shared at the event, as Latin America’s first artificial intelligence unicorn.
The announcement served as evidence that international interest in Mexico can materialize in technology and financial services companies capable of attracting global capital.
Another discussion framed the potential scale of private equity investment in Mexico. It was estimated that firms such as Apollo Global Management could deploy up to $20 billion in domestic projects over the coming years, primarily in infrastructure, energy, and corporate credit.
This figure highlights one of the key areas where Mexico aims to broaden its appeal: private markets, where large international investors can participate in projects requiring extended investment horizons and capital commitments larger than those traditionally handled by public stock markets.
For BIVA, the primary objective is to bridge this capital with domestic opportunities. María Ariza, CEO of BIVA, stated that Mexico Investment Week aims to serve as a bridge between both markets and build the framework to convert investor interest into long-term relationships and investment opportunities.
“Mexico Investment Week today represents much more than a meeting; it is a bridge connecting two nations, two markets, and two cultures that share a common vision: driving economic growth, innovation, and investment,” she stated.
Mexico and the U.S.: A Relationship That Can Outweigh Tariffs
Trade relations with the United States dominated much of the dialogue, particularly amid uncertainty regarding the USMCA’s future and commercial policies coming out of Washington.
Kate Kalutkiewicz, Senior Managing Director at McLarty Associates, noted during the event that 89% of Mexican exports enter the United States duty-free—a status that, in her view, preserves Mexico’s competitiveness as an investment hub.
The executive also emphasized that no other country possesses comparable access to the U.S. market and minimized expectations of a U.S. withdrawal from the USMCA. The discussion carries added weight as global corporations redefine supply chains to mitigate geopolitical and logistical risks.
For Mexico, the opportunity lies in converting its trade integration with the United States into an advantage for attracting new manufacturing plants, infrastructure, suppliers, logistics hubs, and supply chain services. However, geographic proximity alone is insufficient.
Investors also demand legal certainty, predictable tax rules, adequate infrastructure, and physical conditions suitable for developing long-term projects. Finding the right balance among these factors remains central to competing for global capital.
Mexico’s Geopolitical Thesis
Roberto Lazzeri, Mexico’s Ambassador to the United States, shifted the discussion toward a broader domain: the evolving geopolitical landscape. The diplomat pointed out that the U.S. government is sharpening its focus on the Western Hemisphere, positioning Mexico at the center of this new dynamic.
“There is a shift in the U.S. government’s focus toward the Western Hemisphere, and the gateway to that hemisphere is Mexico; it is the strongest investment thesis you can find,” he declared.
This thesis relies on an underlying economic reality: Mexico is the main trading partner of the United States and is deeply integrated into the North American productive network. This integration makes the country a prime beneficiary of supply chain realignments, while simultaneously raising demands for infrastructure, energy, water, logistics, and financing.
The primary task is ensuring this geopolitical advantage moves beyond a promotional narrative and yields tangible, realized projects.
Capital Markets Seek a Larger Role
In this environment, BIVA’s participation carries implications that extend beyond international promotion; public capital markets can serve as a primary mechanism for transforming investor interest into long-term funding for corporations and infrastructure. Achieving this, however, will require expanding Mexico’s issuer base, boosting investor participation, and deepening market liquidity.
The Mexico Investment Week agenda specifically covered discussions on fixed income, credit, and capital markets, Alongside sector-specific opportunities in energy, water, and infrastructure.
The core logic remains clear: if Mexico aims to capitalize on the next cycle of North American integration, it will require substantial capital volumes.
A portion will come from FDI; another share from commercial banks and private markets; and additional funds from institutional investors and public capital markets.
The scale of the challenge is reflected in the composition of recent FDI flows. The nearly $35 billion captured in the first half shows that Mexico retains strong fundamentals for attracting foreign capital. However, with nearly nine out of every ten dollars coming from reinvested earnings, significant room remains for drawing brand-new projects and greenfield investments.
Consequently, BIVA’s objective in New York extended beyond presenting Mexico as an attractive destination, focusing instead on addressing a more complex core question: how to convert the nation’s trade and geopolitical advantages into new, committed investment decisions.
Mexico Investment Week will continue with activities including a market bell ceremony at Nasdaq, alongside sessions covering economic outlooks, state-level investment opportunities, and fintech ecosystem developments.
Ultimately, the goal is to establish financial channels capable of routing international interest, North American integration, and global supply chain realignments directly toward companies and projects seeking expansion capital.
Record FDI figures confirm that Mexico remains an attractive market; the immediate test is converting that attraction into new money, productive investment, and long-term capital deployment.
