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COVID-19
During July the third wave of COVID-19 infections has accelerated in Mexico and the level of restrictions on mobility and business activities has increased. One state returned to red, the highest level on the epidemiological traffic light system, and the number of states at the second highest level, orange, jumped from one to five. The alert level in Mexico City continues to rise, going from green to yellow to orange since early June. Nonetheless, the Health Ministry (Secretaría de Salud) has expressed reluctance to place strict restrictions on business and mobility in order to allow the economy to function.
ECONOMY AND INDUSTRY
- Mexico’s exports of auto parts grew by an annualized rate of 22.5% through the first four months of this year, according to Economy Ministry data. Industry analysts cited increased regional content requirements under the new USMCA trade agreement as boosting exports to the United States and Canada. (El Financiero, July 19, 2021)
- Same-store retail sales in June rose 14.4% with respect to the same month last year, the National Retailers Association (ANTAD) reported. Monthly year-on-year retail sales data continue to reflect the impact of store closings in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Citibanamex Reporte Económico Diario, July 13, 2021)
- In May, a record number of visitors from the United States arrived by air in Mexico, according to the Anahuac Tourism Research Center (Cicotur). The 970,000 air passengers from the U.S. during the month exceeds the number for the same month in 2019, before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Reforma, July 6, 2021)