The e-commerce and financial services platform Mercado Libre announced plans on Monday to invest US $4.6 billion in Mexico this year, demonstrating the firm’s commitment to its second-biggest Latin American market. 

The company’s investment will be 35% higher than in 2025, when Mercado Libre committed $3.4 billion to the Mexican market, which itself was a 38% increase over the previous year.

The $4.6 billion for this year includes both capital investment and operating expenses. 

“This historic figure reaffirms Mercado Libre’s commitment to the country’s development,” the company said in a press release. “It aims to strengthen the company’s ecosystem, both for Mercado Libre, with a particular focus on logistics, development, and technological innovation, and for Mercado Pago, for innovation and the promotion of the financial services the company offers.”

The company hopes to strengthen its brands’ positioning and create 8,500 new jobs in Mexico, primarily in logistics operations and business and corporate areas at both Mercado Libre and Mercado Pago, its online payment platform.

By the end of the year, Mercado Libre expects to have grown to over 42,000 employees in the Mexican market. 

“More than a record number, this reflects our commitment to continue leading the transformation of the Mexican digital ecosystem,” Mercado Libre CEO David Geisen said.

“We are strengthening our logistics infrastructure, the innovations and financial solutions we offer that allow millions of Mexicans, entrepreneurs, and small and medium-sized businesses to grow, and guarantee our users the best possible experience,” Geisen added. 

Including projected 2026 spending, Mercado will have invested more than $14 billion in Mexico, its second-most-important market in Latin America (Brazil is first). 

Over a million small and medium-sized businesses benefit from Mercado Libre’s various services either through Mercado Libre or Mercado Pago, according to Geisen. Mercado Libre is the primary source of income for 45% of small and medium-sized Mexican businesses operating on its marketplace, he said.  

With reports from La Jornada and Bloomberg Línea