The United States government has identified Mexico’s digital payment regulatory framework as a barrier to trade, marking a new front in the ongoing USMCA review process. The accusation appeared in the 2026 National Trade Estimate Report, which analyzes trade barriers across various nations.
Washington claims the current Mexican regulatory environment restricts U.S. firms from fully deploying services such as fraud prevention, cross-border processing, and technological differentiation. According to the report, these limitations favor local actors and prevent international companies from competing effectively.
Digital payments as a strategic trade issue
While the report does not name specific companies, the friction follows recent high-profile regulatory decisions in Mexico. In February 2026, the National Antitrust Commission rejected Visa’s bid to acquire a 51% stake in PROSA, a central clearinghouse for card transactions in Mexico. Regulators cited risks to market competition and potential barriers to entry for smaller players.
Mastercard has faced separate challenges in the Mexican market. Although the company received authorization to operate a clearinghouse in 2020, its operations have struggled to gain traction. The U.S. report points to complex regulatory processes, lengthy approval times, and general uncertainty for foreign firms as primary obstacles.
Mexican regulators previously identified a lack of alternative infrastructure and high entry costs as systemic issues. In 2020, the Federal Economic Competition Commission (Cofece) recommended that the Bank of Mexico and the National Banking and Securities Commission open the market to improve conditions. The U.S. government argues these measures have not been fully implemented or have failed to achieve the intended impact.
Trade between the two nations reached $872.8 billion in 2025, more than double the trade volume between the U.S. and China. Analysts suggest that as Mexico solidifies its position as the primary U.S. trading partner, digital infrastructure will become an increasingly frequent subject of trade disputes.
Álvaro Vértiz, a partner at DGA Group, warned that these regulatory disagreements could intensify as the USMCA renegotiation progresses. He noted that the U.S. may use these sector-specific grievances to demand broader structural changes to Mexico’s financial regulations.
