November 3, 2026. Mexico led export growth in Latin America and the Caribbean in the first half of 2026, with goods exports up 24.6 %, according to the Inter-American Development Bank's Trade and Integration Monitor 2026, released today. The whole region's exports grew 19.5 % year on year, ahead of the 14.5 % rise in world trade.
Where the growth came from
The IDB attributes regional growth mainly to higher volumes, helped by better prices, with higher oil and commodity prices and demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure among the drivers. Mexico's jump came from sales of AI infrastructure equipment to the United States. By subregion, in the first half:
- Mexico: +24.6 %.
- The Caribbean: +19.1 %, concentrated in Guyana and Suriname.
- South America: +16.5 %, driven by mining and energy prices, especially oil.
The region's share of US imports reached a record 22.1 % even as US purchases from the rest of the world fell, and it regained share in Europe, the bank said.
The investment gap
The IDB warns that strong trade has not yet translated into investment. The region received 4.5 % less foreign direct investment in 2023–2025 than in 2012–2014, and its share of the global FDI stock fell from 7.1 % to 6.0 %. Still, Latin America attracts more investment relative to the size of its economy than any other region. "The trade resilience of Latin America and the Caribbean is an opportunity to attract more investment," said IDB principal economist Paolo Giordano, as quoted by Edomex Al Día.
What it means for suppliers
Our take: when Latin American factories export more, they also buy more inputs, machinery and components. In Mexico, intermediate goods were 80.4 % of all imports from January to September, according to Expansión with INEGI data, and many of those inputs come from Asia.
- Quote the same component with several Chinese factories through our product sourcing service and compare certifications and lead times, not just price.
- Approve samples before production for parts going to demanding customers.
- Inspect before shipment with a product inspection.
