Camimex, the Mexican Mining Chamber, said it wants mining and critical minerals to be included in the review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Early talks have started this week as North American countries look at how to strengthen supply chains.

Camimex President, Pedro Rivero, said the sector is in discussions with Mexican authorities. He said there is interest from the United States and Canada in talking about critical minerals.

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Rivero noted that the current agreement does not have a mining section. The chamber believes mining should be included because it supports many industries. It has shared its position with Mexico’s Economy Ministry during the consultation process.

When asked whether the mention of mining in the consultation document came from the chamber’s input, Rivero said, “We, as a chamber, submitted our position to the Ministry of Economy, of course. It was one of the many positions that were issued during the public consultation process.”

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There is no final decision yet. Rivero said the outcome will only be clear when the agreement is completed. For now, discussions are ongoing.

A recent plan between Mexico and the United States on critical minerals may support these talks. Rivero said the plan aligns with a study by Camimex and CIDE. The chamber said mining is linked to many industries and supply chains. It sees a chance for Mexico to study which minerals it needs more of.

Rivero gave examples and explained that Mexico does not have bauxite, so it depends on imports for aluminium. At the same time, it is a major producer of silver. He said the country should use its strengths and address gaps in supply.

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Investors are still watching the sector. Mexico has improved in global rankings, but concerns remain. These include security issues and the legal framework for mining projects. In his words, “There is a lot of concern and active involvement from the security standpoint. Investors in this sector remain concerned and actively engaged with regard to the legal framework we have in Mexico. These are aspects we must continue working on.”

Rivero also spoke about recent water law changes. He said the final reform may create challenges, especially for new mining projects. Each project will need to be reviewed under the new rules.

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The Mining Chamber of Mexico (Camimex) represents Mexico’s formal mining sector, and said more work is needed to improve conditions for the mining sector. Rivero specified, “The main challenge lies in new projects. Depending on the specific situation of each project, it will be necessary to analyse how they can move forward. This is part of that legal framework that we still have to keep working on to improve.”

Information credit: BNAmerica’s interview with Pedro Rivero, President of the Mining Chamber of Mexico