Mexico receives a Record US$156 billion in Direct Foreign Investment

Presidency of the Republic

During an event to commemorate delivery of the Durango Rail Bypass, President Enrique Peña Nieto said that Mexico has received US$156 billion in direct foreign investment, which constitutes 52 percent more than the amount registered at this stage of the previous administration.

“From January to June of this year, foreign direct investment totaled US$15.6 billion, in other words 8.8 percent more than the amount registered in the same semester the previous year,” he said.

In the 1980s, the average annual investment received from abroad was US$2 billion; in the 1990s, it stood at US$8 billion; in the 2000s, it amounted to US$24 billion; and so far during this administration the annual average has been US$35 billion.

Employment

Because of structural reforms, Mexico has projected itself as a more attractive country to invest in, especially in different sectors of the economy such as energy and telecommunications.

“This has been the employment administration. Nearly 3 million jobs have been created to date. Never before in any other administration have so many jobs been generated, never before has so much direct foreign investment been received,” the president said.

National Railway System

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has pointed out that Mexico’s rail network is one of the largest and busiest of all its member countries. 

During this administration, there has been significant investment in the modernization of the National Railway System of over 90 billion pesos by the concession companies.

During this administration, freight transport has grown by 9 percent, passenger transport by 27 percent, and railroad foreign trade by 52 percent, from just over 50 million tons in 2012 to 77 million tons.

“The government decided to support the rail network as a mass transportation system again, and we are currently developing two emblematic projects: The Mexico-Toluca Train, which will become the first intercity high-speed train in the Americas, will be the first of its kind on the continent; and the Light Rail of Guadalajara, both of which are at the construction stage,” said President Peña Nieto.

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Presidency of the Republic, Aug. 16, 2017; translation Presidency of the Republic