Mexico and the United States share a complex and multifaceted relationship based on cooperation in key areas such as trade, security, culture, and the environment. Throughout history, this relationship has experienced both challenges and moments of mutual understanding, but collaboration has remained a constant approach to addressing common challenges and seizing opportunities for the benefit of both nations.
Since the formal establishment of diplomatic relations in 1822, cooperation between Mexico and the United States has evolved to tackle shared issues. Economically, both countries have developed a significant interdependence, with bilateral trade growing exponentially. With a border spanning over 3,000 kilometers and numerous active crossing points, trade has become a cornerstone of the relationship. Agreements such as the former NAFTA, implemented in 1994, and its successor, the USMCA, which entered into force on July 1, 2020, have facilitated this growth by promoting investment, job creation, and the strengthening of shared supply chains.
Security cooperation has also been essential in combating issues such as drug trafficking, organized crime, and border management. Joint initiatives like the Mérida Initiative have aimed to strengthen the rule of law and promote security strategies that respect human rights. Despite challenges, both countries have worked to enhance coordination in law enforcement and migration management.
Beyond economic and security matters, the bilateral relationship is further strengthened through cultural and educational exchanges. Millions of people in both nations share family, business, and academic ties, fostering deep connections between societies. Through exchange programs and educational cooperation, new opportunities have been created for students and professionals from both countries.
In the environmental sphere, Mexico and the United States recognize the need to address shared challenges such as water resource management, air quality, and biodiversity conservation. Cooperation in these areas has been crucial in mitigating the effects of climate change and ensuring sustainable development in the border region and beyond.
In recent times, the relationship has faced new complexities, including trade renegotiations, evolving security strategies, and immigration and border management issues—particularly since Donald Trump’s administration. Although Trump’s rhetoric toward Mexico was often confrontational, especially on issues like immigration and border security, the relationship between him and President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) was notably pragmatic. Despite their ideological differences and contrasting political styles, both leaders managed to avoid major diplomatic rifts. In fact, their rapport has often been compared to a “marriage of convenience”—characterized by mutual accommodation rather than deep alignment.
This pragmatism was evident in the relatively smooth negotiation of the USMCA and in Mexico’s cooperation on migration enforcement following U.S. pressure in 2019. While Trump publicly threatened tariffs if Mexico did not curb migration flows, AMLO responded by deploying the National Guard to Mexico’s southern border—a move that avoided immediate economic fallout but raised concerns about Mexico’s autonomy in policy decisions. Thus, while their rhetorical conflicts shaped media narratives and public perceptions, the tangible consequences were more nuanced: economic stability was preserved, but at the cost of intensified migration control measures and an implicit asymmetry in bilateral power dynamics.
Nonetheless, cooperation continues to be the foundation of U.S.-Mexico relations, reflecting a shared commitment to mutual prosperity and security. As neighboring nations with interconnected futures, both countries remain engaged in working together to overcome challenges and build a stronger, more collaborative partnership.
Thus, at least formally, it can be said that the international relationship between Mexico and the U.S. is characterized as cooperative.
References:
US Department of State. 2025. “US Relations With Mexico”, available at https://www.state.gov/u-s-relations-with-mexico/ , accessed January 28th, 2025.
Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 2025. “Mexico – U.S. Trade Relation”, available at https://embamex.sre.gob.mx/eua/index.php/en/economic-affairs-2022/1909-mexico-u-s-trade-relation , accessed January 28th, 2025.
Gantz, David A., 2019. “The U.S.-Mexico Trade Relationship under AMLO: Challenges and Opportunities”, Arizona Legal Studies Discussion Paper No. 19-06, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3377591
Puyana, Alicia. 2020. “Del Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte al Acuerdo México-Estados Unidos-Canadá. ¿Nuevo capítulo de la integración México-Estados Unidos?” El Trimestre Económico 87 (347): 635–68. https://doi.org/10.20430/ete.v87i347.1086.
Trejo-Nieto, Alejandra. 2022. The political economy of a North–South trade agreement and the development prospects for Mexico: from NAFTA to USMCA. Area Development and Policy, 8(1), 103–124. https://doi.org/10.1080/23792949.2022.2107034