{
  "id": 11513075,
  "title": "Mexico Record Investment Nears US$35 Billion While Growth Lags at 1.2%",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/mexico-record-investment-nears-us-35-billion-while-growth-lags-at-1-2",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-02T18:25:32.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Rio Times",
    "slug": "the-rio-times",
    "url": "https://www.riotimesonline.com/mexico-record-investment-weak-growth-analysis-2026/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "During the first half of 2026, Mexico witnessed record foreign direct investment (FDI) totaling US$34.97 billion, marking the highest such figure on record. However, the economy's growth remained sluggish at just 1.2% over the same period, according to national statistics institute INEGI. Business magazine Expansión questioned on October 2nd why the influx of funds was not translating into higher output.\n\nThe Economy Ministry revealed on August 24th that investment had risen by 2.1% compared to the first half of 2025, with manufacturing leading the way, accounting for US$13.48 billion. The majority of this investment, 88.5%, consisted of reinvested profits from existing companies, while new investments contributed only US$2.73 billion, or 7.8%. Intercompany loans made up the remaining US$1.29 billion.\n\nIn the second quarter alone, FDI reached US$10.46 billion, a decline of 3.5% year-over-year, attributed by the ministry to an unusually strong 2025 base. INEGI's revised data indicated that output grew by 1.4% in the second quarter from the first, marking the strongest quarter since early 2022. This followed a 0.6% contraction in the first quarter, which was later revised down to 1.9% annual growth for the second quarter, down from an initial estimate of 2.1%.\n\nEconomist Martín Pustilnick, co-founder and CEO of MUNDI, argued that external factors like US tariffs could only partially explain the gap between investment and growth. He pointed to three key issues: reliable energy supply for new plants, logistics connecting industrial parks to ports and the border, and credit for small suppliers serving large investors. Pustilnick highlighted the 2027 economic package as the opportunity to address these concerns. Despite the strong second quarter growth, it remains uncertain whether this momentum will extend to the second half of the year, and whether the upcoming 2027 budget will allocate sufficient funds for the energy and logistics needs of investors.",
  "summary": "Mexico record investment hit US$34.97 billion in the first half of 2026, yet growth was 1.2%. Most of the money was profit reinvested by firms already there. The post Mexico Record Investment Nears US$35 Billion While Growth Lags at 1.2% appeared first on The Rio Times .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}