The 60 million viewership figure for Mexico's round of 16 match was almost equivalent to half the nation's population. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)
The World Cup match between the Mexican and English national teams on Sunday drew a record television audience of 60 million viewers, making it the most-watched match of the Mexican century, Gabriela Cuevas, head of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Coordination in Mexico, reported on Tuesday.
With a number of viewers equivalent to nearly half of Mexico’s 130 million population, Sunday’s game marked the fourth occasion that Mexico broke its own audience record during the tournament.
The many fan fests across the nation gave fans the convenience (and savings) of watching the Mexico-England game on television while sharing the experience with large crowds of fellow El Tri supporters — although at least one attendee at the fan fest in Mexico City’s Zócalo seems to have preferred a higher being. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)
The Mexico-England round of 16 match drew just over 80,000 spectators to the Mexico City Stadium. The one-hour delay of the game’s starting time couldn’t quash the fans’ energy as they belted out songs by Los Ángeles Azules and Juan Gabriel and booed English classics by Oasis, Blur and Queen.
England ultimately won 3-2, eliminating Mexico. Nevertheless, multiple videos emerged on social media showing Mexico fans congratulating English fans and celebrating with them.
Between June 11 and July 5, 789,766 people attended 13 World Cup matches in the three host cities: Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey. Mexico City Stadium topped the list with 404,120 attendees across the matches, while Monterrey Stadium attracted 204,716 fans and Guadalajara Stadium hosted 180,930 spectators.
The World Cup generated over 50 billion pesos in revenue for the three host cities, according to Cuevas, while hotel occupancy rose to 80% across Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey, and reached 95% in the beach destination of Cancún. In addition, Mexico City International Airport (AICM) brought in 6.5 billion pesos (US $370.3 million) during the event.
Cuevas emphasized the involvement of 99,000 security personnel and 583 hospitals designated as part of the so-called “World Cup Hospital Network” in the hosting efforts.
Images of Mexican fans celebrating the sport’s event in the streets and public squares circulated across media outlets worldwide.
“What we experienced here will remain in the memory of millions,” Cuevas said.
Puerto Vallarta still has its wild side, but recent stories also provide evidence of a city that is changing fast. (Ondrej Bocek/Unsplash)
For many tourists, Puerto Vallarta is a place to escape everyday life. But for the hundreds of thousands who call the city home, the conversations of recent weeks have centered on something quite different: learning to coexist with wildlife, concerns over public safety, pressure on water infrastructure and the growing pains of a city that continues to evolve.
None of these stories defines Puerto Vallarta. Together, however, they paint a picture of a destination that’s also a community, balancing extraordinary popularity with the very real challenges that come with growth.
Living alongside wildlife after a tragedy
Crocodiles have always been a common sight in Puerto Vallarta, but a recent fatal attack has thrust their presence, and the potential dangers, back into the spotlight. (Plaza Pelicanos Grand Beach Resort Puerto Vallarta)
The recent crocodile attack that claimed the life of a 28-year-old visitor from Mexico City shocked residents and visitors alike. Fatal attacks remain exceptionally rare in Puerto Vallarta. However, tragedy has renewed questions about how a city built around rivers, estuaries and mangroves can safely coexist with one of western Mexico’s most recognizable predators.
In response, authorities have increased monitoring and renewed warnings around the Ameca River, Estero El Salado and other areas where crocodiles are commonly found. Residents and visitors are being urged to avoid swimming near river mouths during the rainy season, when rising water levels can push crocodiles beyond their usual territory.
For residents, crocodiles are nothing new. Sightings in canals, lagoons and around Marina Vallarta are relatively common, although attacks remain exceedingly rare. The American crocodile has been part of the region’s ecosystem for centuries, long before Puerto Vallarta became one of Mexico’s best-known beach destinations.
The challenge is that the city has changed dramatically over the past two decades. Hotels, housing developments and roads now sit alongside habitats such as Estero El Salado, one of Mexico’s few protected urban estuaries, while many visitors remain unaware that crocodiles are a natural part of the local environment.
The tragedy has prompted renewed discussion about whether warning signs, public education and monitoring are keeping pace with the city’s growth. For a city built around both nature and tourism, striking that balance is becoming increasingly important.
Safety concerns reach one of Vallarta’s fastest-growing neighborhoods
The recent robbery of a woman in Versalles has once again placed neighborhood safety under the spotlight. After dropping her daughter off at school, the woman was approached as she walked back to her car, threatened with a knife, and robbed of her iPhone. The suspects reportedly fled in a white SUV.
In many ways, Versalles reflects the city’s transformation. Once a quiet residential district, it’s become one of Vallarta’s most desirable neighborhoods, attracting acclaimed restaurants, cafés, boutique hotels and an increasing number of residents from both Mexico and abroad.
As neighborhoods grow, so too do expectations around public safety. More people mean busier streets, increased traffic and greater demand for visible policing and well-maintained public spaces. While one incident doesn’t define a neighborhood or signal a broader crime trend, it can influence how residents feel about the places where they live, work and raise their families.
In the days following the robbery, familiar conversations resurfaced about police patrols, street lighting and ensuring public services keep pace with rapid development.
Puerto Vallarta remains one of Mexico’s most popular destinations, but as more people choose to make it their permanent home, maintaining a sense of safety in neighborhoods like Versalles will be just as important as continuing to attract visitors.
Water under pressure as the city continues to grow
If there’s one issue likely to shape Puerto Vallarta’s future more than any other, it’s water.
For most visitors, it’s something they rarely think about. For Vallarta’s System of Potable Water, Drainage and Sewerage (Seapal), however, meeting the needs of a rapidly growing city is becoming one of its greatest challenges.
The recent collapse of a water collector in Puerto Vallarta is evidence of larger concerns with the city’s water service network. (Seapal Vallarta)
Recent weeks have highlighted just how much pressure the system is under. The collapse of part of Seapal’s Centro-Norte collector created a sinkhole near the junction of Avenida México and Prisciliano Sánchez, forcing lane closures, traffic diversions and emergency repairs to one of the city’s principal wastewater lines.
The repairs were completed quickly, but it underscored a much larger issue. Much of Puerto Vallarta’s water and sewer infrastructure was built for a considerably smaller city. Today, new housing developments, hotels and businesses continue to place additional demands on the network, making ongoing investment essential.
For residents, the effects are often measured in everyday inconveniences like road closures during repairs, service interruptions and the hope that maintenance carried out today will prevent much larger problems tomorrow.
Building for the future and living through the disruption
Construction cranes have become an increasingly familiar part of Puerto Vallarta’s skyline. Across the city, new apartment buildings, hotels and mixed-use developments reflect continued confidence in Vallarta’s future. At the same time, roadworks and utility projects along major routes, including Francisco Medina Ascencio, have brought detours, congestion and disruption that residents know all too well.
For many residents, the disruption is accepted as the price of progress, provided infrastructure keeps pace with development. That’s the challenge facing Puerto Vallarta. Growth has created jobs, attracted investment and strengthened the local economy, but it’s also increasing pressure on roads, utilities and public services.
Questions about housing affordability, transport and infrastructure are becoming increasingly common as Puerto Vallarta evolves from a seasonal resort into a year-round city. Residents are asking not just what’s being built, but whether the city’s infrastructure is growing alongside it.
A city in transition
The face and infrastructure of Puerto Vallarta is forever changing as the city seeks to keep pace with its exceptional growth. (Ondrej Bocek/Unsplash)
Viewed in isolation, each of these stories tells us something different about Puerto Vallarta. Together, they tell us something much more important. A crocodile attack highlights the realities of living alongside a remarkable natural environment. A robbery in Versalles prompts conversations about neighborhood safety. Water infrastructure reflects the demands of a growing population. Construction reminds us that prosperity often comes with growing pains.
Perhaps that’s the real story of Puerto Vallarta today. Not simply a destination, but a city learning how to balance extraordinary success with the responsibilities that come with it.
For visitors, Puerto Vallarta may always be a place to escape everyday life. For the people who live here, it’s home. And like any home, it’s constantly changing.
Charlotte Smith is a writer and journalist based in Mexico. Her work focuses on travel, politics and community. You can follow along with her travel stories at www.salsaandserendipity.com.
Mexico's revenue from exports to the U.S. was up 17.5% compared to May 2025, when Mexico exported goods worth $46.11 billion to the United States. (Unsplash)
Mexico set a new monthly record for exports to the United States in May, sending goods worth US $54.18 billion to its northern neighbor, according to U.S. data.
The revenue represents an increase of 17.5% compared to May 2025, when Mexico exported goods worth $46.11 billion to the United States. Mexico exports a wide range of goods to the United States, including vehicles, auto parts, computers, televisions, medical devices, fresh food products and alcoholic beverages such as beer and tequila.
Mexico’s Economy Ministry said in a statement that the revenue from exports shipped to the U.S. in May is a “historic record for any month.”
The record was set despite the U.S. government last year imposing tariffs on Mexican vehicles, steel, aluminum and goods not covered by the USMCA free trade pact. Still, the majority of Mexico’s exports to the U.S. enter the country tariff-free thanks to the three-way trade agreement.
A U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis report published on Tuesday also shows that Mexico’s exports to the United States between January and May were worth $242.9 billion, an annual increase of 10.8%.
The data in the report shows that Mexico was the top exporter of goods to the United States in May and in the first five months of 2026.
The publication of the report came six days after the U.S. government announced that it had declined to renew the USMCA for an additional 16 years. However, the trade pact remains in effect, and President Claudia Sheinbaum is confident that Mexico, the U.S. and Canada will reach an agreement to renew it for 16 additional years at some point in the future.
Imports from US also increased
The U.S. data shows that Mexico imported goods worth $33.05 billion from the U.S. in May, a 17.5% annual increase.
In the first five months of 2026, Mexico imported U.S. goods worth $161.66 billion, a year-over-year increase of 15.4%.
Mexico was the world’s top buyer of exported U.S. goods both in May and in the first five months of the year. Among Mexico’s imports from its northern neighbor are natural gas, petroleum products, yellow corn, auto parts and other intermediate goods (manufacturing inputs).
Mexico had a trade surplus of $21.13 billion with the U.S. in May, and a surplus of $81.23 billion in the first five months of 2026. Mexico’s surplus in May increased 17.5% compared to the same month last year, while its surplus in the first five months of 2026 was 2.7% higher in annual terms. The increase in the surpluses would not please U.S. President Donald Trump, who has railed against the trade imbalance between Mexico and the United States, and has even suggested that Mexico’s surplus constituted grounds for the country becoming a U.S. state.
When announcing the decision to not renew the USMCA, U.S. Trade Representative said that the U.S. would “continue to engage with Mexico and Canada to address the Agreement’s shortcomings and our trade deficits with these countries.”
Mexico and the US remain each other’s largest trade partners
The U.S. data shows that two-way trade between Mexico and the United States was worth $404.56 billion in the first five months of 2026. That amount accounts for 16.5% of the United States’ total trade with all countries around the world.
Trade between Canada and the U.S. — worth $307.48 billion between January and May — accounts for 12.5% of the United States’ total trade in the first five months of 2026. Canada is the United States’ second largest trade partner after Mexico.
In its statement, the Finance Ministry highlighted that Mexico’s exports to the United States in the 12 months to the end of May were worth $558 billion, an 8% year-over-year gain. It also noted that Mexico’s imports from the U.S. in the same period were worth $358.9 billion, an annual increase of 7%.
“Based on these figures, Mexico has cemented its position as the United States’ largest trading partner, ahead of Canada, China, Taiwan, and Vietnam,” the Finance Ministry said.
“Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said that Mexico’s record exports to the United States are explained by our country’s preferential access to the U.S. market,” the ministry said.
On social media, Banco Base’s director of economic analysis, Gabriela Siller, posted a graph on Tuesday that shows that the average tariff Mexican goods face when entering the U.S. is 3.65%.
“Mexico continues to be among the countries with the lowest average tariff in the United States,” she wrote.
Land’s End in Cabo San Lucas (pictured top left) is a spectacular place, above and below the waterline, but the commerce that surrounds it is degrading its Protected Natural Area, designated in 1973. (Cabo Adventures)
The first Protected Natural Area (in Spanish, Área Natural Protegida, or ANP) in Baja California Sur was established in 1972, two years before the then territory officially became a Mexican state. That was the Ojo de Liebre Lagoon Complex, a gray whale sanctuary whose designation as a Biosphere Reserve helped pave the way not only for the state’s whale watching industry but for the 12 other ANPs that would subsequently be added.
These protected areas have been the site of many conservation success stories, but there have also been numerous setbacks, both due to climate change and to the pressures on these ecosystems from business and tourism-related developments. This is particularly true for the three oldest ANPs, which all date to the 1970s.
Ojo de Liebre Lagoon Complex and El Vizcaíno
The Ojo de Liebre Lagoon Complex has been a federally protected breeding sanctuary for gray whales in Baja California Sur for over 50 years. (Simec/Conanp)
Ojo de Liebre is a case in point. By 1988, it had been rolled into the larger El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve, at 2.5 million hectares (or about 9,600 square miles), the largest wildlife sanctuary in Mexico. But in the 1990s, both dwindling numbers of Baja’s unique, desert-adapted antelope, the Peninsular Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana peninsularis) and the whales who came to breed in Ojo de Liebre each winter were threatened by a proposed saltworks from the Mitsubishi Corporation that would have operated within the bounds of El Vizcaíno and emptied a highly toxic, hyper-saline fluid called bitterns (or residual brine)into the lagoon complex.
That project was canceled by the Mexican government in 2000, after concentrated opposition from locals, scientists and environmental activists. The Peninsular Pronghorn is still endangered, but numbers have more than tripled in the decades since — thanks in part to captive breeding programs — from a low of less than 200 in the 1990s to over 600 now.
Gray whale challenges
Gray whale numbers, meanwhile, have dropped precipitously from a high of 27,000 in 2016 to between 11,700 and 14,450 as of 2025, but that’s not because of any failures on the part of Ojo de Liebre or El Vizcaíno. Rather, the Unusual Mortality Events in recent years contributing to the plunging population have been the result of malnourishment caused by a collapse of food sources in the whales’ summer Arctic feeding grounds; namely, bottom-dwelling amphipods.
El Vizcaíno is still an amazing place, home to endemic animals such as the Peninsular Pronghorn, the Vizcaíno Ground Squirrel (Notocitellus atricapillus), the Baja California Rat-Snake (Bogertophis rosaliae) and Baja California Legless Lizard (Anniella geronimensis), as well as more than 90 endemic plant species.
Cabo San Lucas
The state’s second ANP, Cabo San Lucas, remains the least managed, with virtually no formal rules to speak of, save a ban on fishing within its 3,996 hectares. That’s because Cabo San Lucas also happens to be the state’s leading tourist destination and revenue generator, and it has proven nearly impossible to reconcile conservation with commerce.
“Los Cabos is such an important destination from an economic point of view,” Benito Bermúdez Almada, regional director of the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (Conanp), recently told Sudcaliforniano, that “there is nothing to discuss, and from an environmental point of view, although everyone underestimates it, it is the best alert site for the behavior of oceanographic conditions in northwestern Mexico; the antennas are there.”
A map showing the 12 federally protected areas in Baja California Sur, as well as the one that is protected by the state: the San José del Cabo Estuary. (Gobierno de Baja California Sur)
But lack of any meaningful regulation, combined with large-scale tourism — nearly four million people a year visit Los Cabos, with Cabo San Lucas’ Land’s End the focus of innumerable outdoor activities, from boating and diving to snorkeling, kayaking, paddle boarding and others — is certainly degrading the area around Land’s End, and having significant impacts on marine life.
Ecosystem challenges and possible solutions
Mexico’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) inventoried 839 native species in the protected area in 2010, at least 94 of which are currently at risk (12 endangered, 24 threatened, 58 under special protection).
When the Cabo San Lucas Flora and Fauna Protection Area was officially designated in 1973, it was primarily as an underwater refuge brought on by the discovery of underwater sand falls around Land’s End — the headland which accounts for about 5% of the ANP’s total area. Encouraged by Jacques Cousteau, the French oceanographer forever famous regionally for dubbing the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortés) as “the world’s aquarium,” the decree was signed by Mexican President Luis Echeverría on November 29, 1973, to protect what was recognized as a unique and fragile ecosystem.
In 2023, Conanp proposed an expansion to the area that would cover more areas at particular risk, including the underwater sandfalls and shallow reefs that act as nursery areas for fish populations, as well as put a cap on boat traffic. But the existing confusion caused by the lack of a management plan — 53 years after the ANP’s designation — combined with the exigencies of commerce, suggests nothing is going to happen in the short term.
Islas de Golfo de California
This protected area, first established in 1978 and later upgraded in 2000 under the same Flora and Fauna Protection Area classification given to Cabo San Lucas, is absolutely massive in its extent: 374,553 hectares encompassing more than 900 islands, islets, coves and coastal zone that fall within the boundaries of four Mexican states: Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sinaloa and Sonora.
These islands are known for their unique endemism: 43 reptile species, such as the rattleless rattlesnake of Santa Catalina Island, and 80 to 90 fish species, including the endangered totoaba and vaquita porpoise, are found nowhere else in the world.
The view from Isla Cerralvo looking westward towards the coast of mainland Baja California Sur, where a new megaproject is in the works. (James Connolly Davis/Wikimedia Commons)
The problem, of course, is these mostly uninhabited islands are almost impossible to police in any meaningful way, not only because of the jurisdictional nightmare but because of their remote nature.
Then there are the problems posed by tourist developments like the megaproject Península de los Sueños at Punta Arena in La Paz municipality, where real estate interests are pushing to build 7,000 residences and 7,000 hotel rooms, as well as an airstrip and 446-berth marina right across the narrow channel from Cerralvo Island (aka Isla Jacques Cousteau), one of the core islands protected under the Islas de Golfo banner.
A direct challenge to Islas de Golfo
Heavy yacht traffic and noise pollution are two issues that could arise for the island’s protected flora and fauna, although neither would likely be as serious as the 7.98 million gallons of highly concentrated salt brine that would be pumped back into the Sea of Cortés daily because of three proposed desalination plants.
“They think desalination plants are the magic solution,” notes Frida Lara, scientific coordinator at Orgcas, a women-led non-profit in La Paz dedicated to marine conservation, per Causa Natura. “The big question is what is going to happen with the management of the brine, and there is no very clear answer as to what they are going to do with it. Another question is that it uses a lot of energy, in a region where electrical energy is limited and depends a lot on fuel oil, which is polluting.”
Chris Sands is a writer and editor for Mexico News Daily, and the former Cabo San Lucas local expert for the USA Today travel website 10 Best and writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook. He has also contributed to numerous other websites and publications, including The San Diego Union-Tribune, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Forbes Travel Guide, Porthole Cruise and Travel, and Cabo Living.
As an apex predator, the black hawk-eagle, águila tirana in Mexico and Spizaetus tyrannus in ornithology, has a key role in regulating prey populations to maintain ecological balance. (Conanp)
The first confirmed sighting of a black hawk-eagle — an apex raptor listed as endangered in Mexico — has been recorded in a nature reserve in the state of Querétaro.
The finding in the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve marks a significant expansion of the species’ known range, authorities said.
A map released by Mexico’s National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (Conanp) pinpoints the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve where the raptor was spotted, some distance from the black hawk-eagle’s recently registered locations to the southeast. It also illustrates how the apex raptor remains common from Mexico’s southern border on down into South America, while becoming rare in Mexico itself due to habitat destruction. (Conanp)
The National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (Conanp) reported this week that the Águila Tirana — known locally as the tyrant eagle and in English as the black hawk-eagle — was documented for the first time in the protected area in northern Querétaro.
The agency said the finding resulted from ongoing biological monitoring and coordination with residents of the Ayutla ejido in the municipality of Arroyo Seco.
The species had not previously been officially reported in the region, which lies more than 150 kilometers from its historically documented range — the lowland and mid-elevation tropical forests of Mexico’s southeast, particularly along the Gulf of Mexico.
In a press release, Conanp described the raptor as an apex predator in tropical ecosystems, noting its presence reflects healthy habitat conditions within the reserve.
The Sierra Gorda landscape includes canyon systems with oak forests and seasonally dry tropical forests that form part of the Sierra Madre Oriental biological corridor.
Listed as an endangered species and protected under Mexican law, Spizaetus tyrannus depends on the conservation of tropical and cloud forest ecosystems and habitat connectivity for survival. Authorities said its role as a top (apex) predator helps regulate prey populations and maintain ecological balance.
The discovery adds to a series of notable eagle-related conservation developments in Mexico in recent years. In 2026, officials confirmed a golden eagle nesting site in Coahuila, while in 2025, the mystical-looking harpy eagle — long believed extinct in the country — was documented in Chiapas.
But while the bird of prey is still common in tropical forests from Mexico to northern Argentina, the species appears to be in decline and is treated as endangered within Mexico’s borders due to habitat loss.
Our headline finding for June 2026 indicates that the peso was overvalued against the dollar by 2.91%, a decrease of 1.12 percentage points compared to the 4.03% overvaluation we determined for May. (Mexico News Daily)
THE MND PESO INDEX™
Tracking the exchange rate people actually experience
MND Intelligence · Third edition
Welcome to the third edition of the MND Peso Index™, part of the MND Intelligence™ suite of data products developed by Mexico News Daily.
The MND Peso Index™ is a monthly purchasing power parity measure that assesses whether the Mexican peso is overvalued or undervalued against the US dollar by comparing the prices of a standardized basket of 20 goods and services in Mexico and Dallas, Texas.
Our headline finding for June 2026 indicates that the peso was overvalued against the dollar by 2.91%, a decrease of 1.12 percentage points compared to the 4.03% overvaluation we determined for May.
For a detailed explanation of the purpose of the MND Peso Index™, the makeup of the basket and more, please refer to our previous index article. You can read even more about the index in our introductory article published in early May.
What did the MND Peso Index™ tell us in June 2026?
In June 2026, the MND Peso Index™ suggests that the USD:MXN exchange rate on the date we collected prices in various Mexican cities and in Dallas, Texas, overvalued the Mexican peso by 2.91%.
The Mexican and Dallas prices were collected on June 29, 2026. The mean implied exchange rate across all 20 items — the MND Peso Rate — came in at 18.01 pesos per dollar, whereas the Banxico FIX rate on June 29 was 17.50 pesos per dollar.
The gap between those two figures indicates that the peso — at a rate of 17.50 to the US dollar — was overvalued by 2.91% in late June.
In other words, the USD:MXN exchange rate — if it reflected the rate at which the peso could buy the basket’s goods and services in Mexico at the same dollar prices as in the United States — would be 18.01.
In the table below, you can see the Mexico and U.S. prices for all 20 goods and services in the basket, the total costs of the two baskets, the implied exchange rate for each item, the MND Peso Rate (ie., the overall implied rate), the Banxico FIX rate on the date prices were collected and the overvaluation assessment for the peso.
If the implied rate is lower than the current exchange rate, it implies that the item is less expensive in Mexico than you would expect it to be, and vice versa.
(Mexico News Daily)
Why did the peso’s ‘overvalued’ assessment decrease between May and June?
The MND Peso Rate — the mean implied exchange rate — barely changed between May and June, declining by just one centavo from 18.02 to 18.01.
By contrast, the difference in the Banxico USD:MXN fix rate we used in May (17.32) and that we used in June (17.50) was 18 centavos. Therefore, the decline in the overvaluation assessment for the peso was almost entirely due to the currency’s depreciation against the dollar.
The peso depreciated by 1.02% between the date on which we collected prices in late May and the date on which we collected prices in late June. The 1.12-percentage-point reduction in the overvaluation assessment for the peso was helped only ever so slightly by the change in the MND Peso Rate from 18.02 to 18.01.
The MND Peso Index™ has now found the peso to be overvalued during 3 consecutive months
Through the use of the MND Peso Index™, we have now determined that the peso was overvalued against the US dollar by 2.83% in late April, 4.03% in late May and 2.91% in late June.
The difference between the lowest overvaluation assessment and the highest is just 1.2 percentage points.
(Mexico News Daily)
Our most recent MND Peso Rate (mean implied rate) — 18.01 — is just 23 cents, or 1.3%, higher than where foreign exchange (FX) experts who were recently polled by Reuters think the USD:MXN rate will be at the start of July 2027. The median estimate of 24 FX specialists polled by Reuters is that the USD:MXN exchange rate will be 17.78 on July 1, 2027.
So far in 2026, the peso has appreciated 2.8% against the US dollar. It closed at 18.00 to the greenback on the final day of 2025, according to the Bank of Mexico, while the closing USD:MXN rate on Tuesday July 7 was 17.51.
* Price sources: Mexico prices were collected from the websites and apps of Walmart México, Costco México, AutoZone México, Telmex, Cinépolis, Petco México, and the Mexican outlets of McDonald’s, Starbucks, Netflix and Planet Fitness. Dallas prices were collected from their U.S. equivalents. The Banxico FIX rate of 17.50 published on June 29, 2026 was used as the official exchange rate reference.
Víctor Rodríguez was arrested in the Narvarte neighborhood of Mexico City on Tuesday at 5:32 p.m. before he was officially booked in Cuernavaca. (Morelos Attorney General's Office/Cuartoscuro)
Víctor Rodríguez Padilla, the former CEO of Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), was arrested in Mexico City on Tuesday following a domestic violence complaint filed by his wife, María Felicia Jiménez Lavie.
The arrest came after Jiménez posted a video on YouTube that shows Rodríguez hitting, pulling and pushing his wife at their home in the state of Morelos. The security camera video also shows the pair’s 6-year-old son fleeing the scene after the violence erupts.
Mexico’s National Arrest Registry indicates that Rodríguez’s arrest took place in the Narvarte neighborhood of the Benito Juárez borough on Tuesday afternoon at 5:32 p.m., after which he was handed over to the Morelos Public Prosecutor’s Office, where an investigation file for the crime of domestic violence was opened.
Following the release of the video, President Claudia Sheinbaum advocated for the full application of the law in the case involving Rodríguez and pledged that her government “wouldn’t protect anyone in the face of acts such as these.”
Jiménez told the newspaper El Universal that the actions observed in the video — which was recorded on March 15 — are not an isolated incident, “but the culmination of an escalation that began in 2022 with verbal and physical abuse,” including an incident where Rodríguez stabbed her in the hand with a pen.
Jiménez, who is originally from Cuba, told Noticias Telemundo that her decision to release the video followed Rodríguez’s threat to expel her from Mexico, despite the fact that she is a Mexican citizen, and her fear that he would take her son away from her.
“I just couldn’t take the humiliations anymore,” Jiménez said over the phone.
Days before the arrest and without denying the accusations, Rodríguez said he would step down from any public office so as not to obstruct the investigation, and reiterated his “absolute willingness to cooperate with the authorities.”
Reports of domestic violence in Mexico increased by 82% between July 2015 and June 2025.
According to official figures cited by Telemundo, between January and May this year, Mexico saw just above 25,000 reports of domestic violence, up 1,000 compared to the same period last year.
Paradoxically, the increase in the number of complaints is a positive development, as it may indicate that more women feel safe enough to report them.
“I am one of many women who have suffered domestic violence,” Rodríguez said. “The law must do what it has to do.”
Sheinbaum expressed optimism about recent economic indicators on Wednesday, saying that she believes the United States will eventually decide to renew the USMCA. (Saúl López/Presidencia)
Sheinbaum’s mañanera in 60 seconds
📈 Mexico ranks 10th globally for FDI: Finance Minister Édgar Amador Zamora cited a new UN Trade and Development report showing Mexico received roughly $41 billion in foreign direct investment in 2025, a 10.8% increase over 2024, placing it behind the US, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Brazil, the UK, Germany, Canada and the UAE. He also pointed to rising 2026 export revenue and headline inflation falling to 3.55% in the first half of June.
🇲🇽🇺🇸🇨🇦 USMCA: No 16-year renewal for now, but Sheinbaum expects one eventually: Sheinbaum noted the U.S. declined to extend the USMCA for 16 years, calling it a decision driven by President Trump’s “protectionist vision.” The pact will now run for 10 years with annual reviews, but Sheinbaum said she believes a 16-year renewal will still happen down the line — perhaps after Trump leaves office — given how deeply integrated the three economies are.
⚖️ Government to escalate response to ICE death of Mexican national: Asked about the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by an ICE officer in Houston, Sheinbaum called his death “regrettable” and said her government is preparing new legal measures — beyond diplomatic notes and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights filing — to respond to the deaths of Mexicans in ICE custody. She said Foreign Affairs Minister Roberto Velasco could present the measures on Thursday.
Why today’s mañanera matters
At President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Wednesday morning press conference, Finance Minister Édgar Amador Zamora took the opportunity to highlight some good economic news for Mexico that was included in a new United Nations report.
Although economic growth in Mexico has recently been sluggish, the federal government frequently asserts that the economy is strong, pointing to positive indicators such as record foreign investment and exports, low unemployment and a relatively strong peso.
Amador was on hand to do that again on Wednesday morning.
For her part, Sheinbaum expressed confidence that the USMCA free trade pact will be renewed for an additional 16 years at some point in the future, although the United States is not currently in support of such an extension. Her remarks about the future of the six-year-old trade agreement that superseded NAFTA in 2020 and which underpins Mexico’s commercial relationship with the U.S. and Canada were among the most important at today’s mañanera.
Also of note at the press conference was Sheinbaum’s announcement that her government is preparing an even stronger response to the death of Mexican nationals in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Mexico ranked No. 10 for FDI in 2025
Amador noted that the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) published a report this week that showed that Mexico was among the top 10 countries for foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows in 2025.
Mexico was the world’s 10th largest recipient of FDI last year, according to UNCTAD, behind the United States, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada and the United Arab Emirates.
“It’s a sign of the confidence in the policies of the administration of President Sheinbaum, in the macroeconomic framework and in the stability of the country’s macro-financial variables,” he said.
The United States received $277 billion in FDI last year, while Singapore, Hong Kong and China received $151 billion, $116 billion and $105 billion, respectively. They were the only four territories that received more than $100 billion in FDI last year.
“… It’s a decision of President Trump for Canada and for Mexico related to a protectionist vision,” Sheinbaum said.
She noted that the USMCA is now slated to remain in place for the next 10 years, although the pact will be subject to annual reviews.
Sheinbaum highlighted that at some point in the coming 10 years, Mexico, the United States and Canada could reach an agreement to extend the USMCA for an additional 16 years.
“That can happen at any time,” she said.
“… The truth is I think it will be renewed for another 16 years, even if it takes four or five years, because the economic integration [in North America] is enormous,” Sheinbaum said.
“… Our economy is so integrated [with the United States] that even with the [U.S.] tariffs, we’re still exporting more to the United States and we’re buying more from the United States. We’re the top buyer from the United States,” she said.
🚨 Claudia Sheinbaum sostuvo que la revisión anual del T-MEC fue impulsada por Donald Trump como parte de una política de protección económica para Estados Unidos.
“I’ve said that to President Trump in the calls we’ve had. In other words, we’ve stopped buying from Asia, especially from the countries with which we don’t have trade agreements, and we’re buying more from the United States,” Sheinbaum said referring to a reduction in purchases from countries such as China rather than a complete halt on imports from Asia.
“And we’re also selling more to the United States. The economic integration that has occurred in the last 30 years is very difficult to break,” she said.
Sheinbaum acknowledges death of Mexican man shot by ICE
A reporter asked the president about the death on Tuesday of Mexican man Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was shot by an ICE officer in Houston, Texas.
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), of which ICE is part, at approximately 6:50 a.m. local time in Houston on Tuesday, “ICE law enforcement attempted to conduct a vehicle stop as part of a targeted enforcement operation to arrest an illegal alien.”
“The driver of the vehicle, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo — an illegal alien from Mexico — attempted to evade arrest. From the information we are receiving, he rammed an ICE law enforcement vehicle, refused to follow multiple verbal commands, and weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run over an ICE law enforcement officer resulting in our officer firing his weapon in self-defense,” DHS said.
“The driver was struck, and emergency services were immediately contacted. The driver was transported to the hospital where he passed away from his injuries.”
Sheinbaum called the death of Salgado “regrettable” and said her government is preparing “legal measures” to express its condemnation of the deaths of Mexicans in incidents involving ICE.
“There is no reason for them to be in detention centers or for violence to be used against them,” she said.
“So we’re preparing more significant legal measures,” said Sheinbaum, who indicated that Foreign Affairs Minister Roberto Velasco could present the measures on Thursday.
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)
Toyota has been manufacturing the Tacoma in Tijuana since 2002. Production of the pickup truck will continue unchanged at its Guanajuato plant. (Omar Martínez/Cuartoscuro)
Japanese automaker Toyota announced on Monday that it will be moving production of its Tacoma model from the Baja California border city of Tijuana — where it has been assembling the midsize pickup for two decades — to its manufacturing campus in San Antonio, Texas.
The move out of Mexico is part of a US $3.6 billion investment by Toyota to greatly expand its San Antonio plant’s size and production capacity and create 2,000 new jobs in the U.S. city.
Toyota will continue Tijuana operations during a four-year transition period and then decide whether to liquidate or repurpose the plant. (Omar Martínez/Cuartoscuro)
It follows Toyota’s announcement that it will invest up to $10 billion more than previously anticipated in U.S. operations through 2030.
Mexico’s Economy Ministry (SE) confirmed Toyota’s plans and tried to put the best spin on the situation by explaining some details.
For one thing, Toyota will continue Tijuana operations during a four-year transition period and then decide what to do with the plant. Thus, it will not be abandoned soon and maybe not at all.
Also, production of the Tacoma will continue at Toyota’s Guanajuato plant, which, along with the Tijuana plant, has been the exclusive manufacturer of the model since 2024. The Guanajuato facility directly employs 2,800 people and supports thousands of indirect jobs in the El Bajío region.
Another piece of positive news offered by the SE, though somewhat mysteriously, is that President Sheinbaum indicated to the ministry that another automaker has expressed plans to invest US $500 million in Mexican operations. The name of the company was not given but the SE spokesperson indicated that an announcement was only a matter of days away.
Toyota’s Texas-sized US vision
Toyota had previously announced plans to invest $531 million to develop a 500-million-square-foot rear-axle plant on the San Antonio campus, with production expected to start in the fall. Toyota has reportedly invested $8.3 billion in its San Antonio plant since commencing operations there in 2003.
The San Antonio plant already manufactures Toyota’s Tundra full-size pickup truck and hybrid variant, as well as the Toyota Sequoia SUV hybrid.
The increased investment and rise in production capacity could propel Toyota to become the largest U.S. car seller, narrowing the gap in U.S. sales with America’s largest automaker, General Motors.
Toyota’s sales increased by 0.5% in the first half of the year compared to 2025, to 1.24 million. Meanwhile, GM’s sales fell by 6.8% to 1.34 million.
Such a sizable investment by Latin America's largest fintech is expected to create both direct and indirect jobs as well as boost technological innovation, financial inclusion and digitization of banking services. (Shutterstock)
President Claudia Sheinbaum on Monday announced that the fintech Nubank would be investing US $4.2 billion in the country over the next four years.
Sheinbaum revealed the news in a social media post after meeting with the company’s founder and CEO David Vélez Osorno and his team at the National Palace, where the Colombian businessman presented her with an investment plan aimed at strengthening the firm’s operations in Mexico.
President Sheinbaum received Nubank’s four-year investment plan in person during a visit to the National Palace by David Vélez Osorno, the fintech’s founder and CEO. (Claudia Sheinbaum/X)
The investment will expand Nubank’s presence in the country, strengthen its technological infrastructure, allow for the development of new digital solutions and broaden its services for millions of users.
The government expects the project to contribute to economic growth, boost technological innovation and financial inclusion and promote greater digitization of banking services. It will also stimulate competition in the financial sector and create conditions to attract new investments in sectors such as technology, financial services and the digital economy.
Known commercially as Nu in Mexico, Nubank currently serves more than 135 million customers in Latin America (with more than 15 million in Mexico), adding approximately 4 million new users in this year’s first quarter alone.
The company’s growth is expected to boost employment in the sector, particularly for professionals specializing in software engineering, mobile application development, artificial intelligence, science and data analysis, cybersecurity, cloud architecture and financial risk management.
Likewise, an investment of this magnitude usually generates indirect jobs through technology providers, consulting firms, digital infrastructure firms, data centers and specialized services.
The latest investment reflects the company’s recognition of the potential of the Mexican market, where millions of people remain outside the traditional financial system, many of whom are seeking more agile and digital alternatives to manage their money.
Nubank has a banking license in Mexico, but lacks final approval to begin operations as a bank, though the approval process is said to be in its final phase.
