Successfully improving QI with Mexico

Mexico’s economy has seen significant growth in recent decades. The country is the world’s 15th largest industrial nation. It is Germany's most important trading partner in Latin America, just as Germany is Mexico’s leading trading partner in the European Union (EU) market. In 2020, the volume of trade between the two countries amounted to more than 19 billion euros. There are around 2,000 companies with German capital based in Mexico. Both countries share a strong interest in working towards a harmonised system of quality infrastructure (QI), as well as fair market access and production conditions.

Close economic cooperation at eye level

In 2018, the Mexican Ministry of Economy (Secretaría de Economía - SE) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz - BMWK) signed a Joint Declaration of Intent for the bilateral dialogue on quality infrastructure. Since then, the Global Project Quality Infrastructure (GPQI) in Mexico supports the implementation and coordination of political and technical bilateral dialogue on QI topics.

Mexico is the sixth largest car producer worldwide. In addition to the automotive industry, other key economic and trading sectors for Mexico and Germany include mechanical engineering, the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, transport and logistics. These sectors are of particular importance for the QI cooperation.

QI dialogue strengthens trade

As a multi-stakeholder initiative, GPQI facilitates a special format of political exchange about quality infrastructures. It involves actors from business and society with their know-how, innovative concepts and needs in bilateral government dialogues. The project brings together governments and experts from public and private sectors – including technical organisations, associations and industry.

Together, they reduce technical barriers to trade, strengthen product safety and improve consumer protection with internationally coordinated quality infrastructures. This way, the German-Mexican dialogue on QI does not only strengthen the bilateral trade relations but also promotes economic progress.