Mexico: Corporate and Company Law

On May 4, 2026, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy released the National Drug Control Strategy 20261 (“NDCS 2026”), a document that sets forth the U.S. government’s comprehensive strategy to, among other things, address the synthetic drug crisis (particularly fentanyl and methamphetamine) through a national security approach involving diplomatic, military, financial, and intelligence tools.

On May 4, 2026, the following were published in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF): (i) the “Agreement issuing general criteria and guiding operational guidelines for the promotion of productive investment and tax compliance” and (ii) the ”Decree for the Immediate Authorization of Investments” within the framework of Plan Mexico, which entered into force the day following their publication.

Mexico's M&A market is thriving, driven by nearshoring and foreign investment, yet many international buyers underestimate the complexities of acquiring Mexican companies. While the legal mechanics of mergers are straightforward, the real challenge lies in what the surviving entity inherits—from hidden tax exposures and labor reform compliance gaps to the unique risks embedded in family-owned businesses.

The MVE, which will be enforceable as of April 1, 2026, is a digital document integrated into Mexico's Single Window for Foreign Trade (VUCEM – Ventanilla Única de Comercio Exterior) through which importers must declare the customs value of goods entering Mexico.

Mexico's customs and foreign trade legal framework has evolved into a substance-based compliance model. Authorities now expect importers to demonstrate not only what was imported, but also why, under what legal relationship, and under what economic terms the transaction took place.

One of the most effective tools to prevent disputes in family-owned businesses is the clear definition and separation of three distinct spheres: ownership, family, and employment.

A diez años de su transformación en empresa productiva del Estado, Petróleos Mexicanos ("Pemex) ha sido objeto de una nueva reforma que modifica sustancialmente su régimen juridico, regresándola al modelo de empresa pública estatal La Ley de la Empresa Pública del Estado, Petróleos Mexicanos, publicada el 18 de marzo de 2025.

Reform of the Federal Economic Competition Law (LFCE, for its initials in Spanish) – Creation of the National Antitrust Commission (CNA, for its initials in Spanish).

The reality of the current tariff situation is that, although they can greatly affect larger exporters, small and medium-sized businesses in Mexico have also been made vulnerable by the imposition of tariffs, as they generate effects that transcend international trade and exports to the United States