France–Mexico Relations
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The nations of
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
and
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
established diplomatic relations in 1830. Initially, relations between both nations were unstable as a result of France's
first First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...
and second interventions in Mexico. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
Mexico did not recognize
Vichy France Vichy France (; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was a French rump state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II, established as a result of the French capitulation after the Battle of France, ...
, instead it maintained diplomatic relations with the French government in exile in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
. Diplomatic relations were restored between both nations at the end of the war in 1945 and have continued unabated since.Bilateral relations between Mexico and France (in Spanish)
/ref> Both nations are members of the
G-20 major economies The G20 or Group of 20 is an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 sovereign countries, the European Union (EU), and the African Union (AU). It works to address major issues related to the global economy, such as international financial stabil ...
,
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD; , OCDE) is an international organization, intergovernmental organization with 38 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and international trade, wor ...
and the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
.


History


1821-1860

In 1821, soon after obtaining independence from the
Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire, sometimes referred to as the Hispanic Monarchy (political entity), Hispanic Monarchy or the Catholic Monarchy, was a colonial empire that existed between 1492 and 1976. In conjunction with the Portuguese Empire, it ushered ...
, Emperor
Agustín de Iturbide Agustín Cosme Damián de Iturbide y Arámburu (; 27 September 178319 July 1824), commonly known as Agustín de Iturbide and later by his regnal name Agustín I, was the first Emperor of Mexico from 1822 until his abdication in 1823. An offi ...
of Mexico sent his foreign minister to the court of King
Louis XVIII of France Louis XVIII (Louis Stanislas Xavier; 17 November 1755 – 16 September 1824), known as the Desired (), was King of France from 1814 to 1824, except for a brief interruption during the Hundred Days in 1815. Before his reign, he spent 23 ...
to ask for recognition of the newly independent nation; however, King Louis XVIII refused to recognize Mexico because of its alliance with Spain. On 26 November 1826, France proposed resolving the problem of recognition by establishing trade relations with a Mexican company, thus establishing unofficial relations with Mexico. It was not until September 1830 that France recognized and established diplomatic relations with Mexico, following the
July Revolution The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution (), Second French Revolution, or ("Three Glorious ays), was a second French Revolution after French Revolution, the first of 1789–99. It led to the overthrow of King Cha ...
, the forced abdication of King
Charles X of France Charles X (Charles Philippe; 9 October 1757 – 6 November 1836) was King of France from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. An uncle of the uncrowned Louis XVII and younger brother of reigning kings Louis XVI and Louis XVIII, he supported th ...
, and the removal of the
House of Bourbon The House of Bourbon (, also ; ) is a dynasty that originated in the Kingdom of France as a branch of the Capetian dynasty, the royal House of France. Bourbon kings first ruled France and Kingdom of Navarre, Navarre in the 16th century. A br ...
from power. That same year, both nations opened resident diplomatic legations in each country's capital, respectively. During the early years of their diplomatic relations, Mexico and France were not always on friendly terms, particularly with the beginning of the
Pastry War The Pastry War (; ), also known as the first French intervention in Mexico or the first Franco-Mexican war (1838–1839), began in November 1838 with the naval blockade of some Centralist Republic of Mexico, Mexican ports and the capture of the ...
(November 1838 - March 1839), known also as the ''First French intervention'' in Mexico; where France invaded Mexico in order to collect re-compensation for property damaged and or looted by Mexican forces. During the war, France (with the assistance of the United States) blockaded Mexican ports thus crippling the economy. Three months later, Mexico agreed to pay France 600,000 pesos in compensation.


1861-1867

The
Second French intervention in Mexico The second French intervention in Mexico (), also known as the Second Franco-Mexican War (1861–1867), was a military invasion of the Republic of Mexico by the French Empire of Napoleon III, purportedly to force the collection of Mexican de ...
began in December 1861, when Emperor
Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was President of France from 1848 to 1852 and then Emperor of the French from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president, second emperor, and last ...
invaded Mexico on the pretext that Mexico had refused to pay its foreign debt, though, in reality, the Emperor wanted to take advantage of the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
to expand his empire in
Latin-America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish and Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geography, and as such it includes countri ...
. After a successful French invasion of Mexico, Napoléon III installed his Austrian cousin,
Maximilian I of Mexico Maximilian I (; ; 6 July 1832 – 19 June 1867) was an Austrian Empire, Austrian archduke who became Emperor of Mexico, emperor of the Second Mexican Empire from 10 April 1864 until his execution by the Restored Republic (Mexico), Mexican Republ ...
of the
House of Habsburg The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful Dynasty, dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout ...
, as Emperor of Mexico in 1864.Biography of Maximilian, Emperor of Mexico
/ref> For several years, Mexican rebels under President
Benito Juárez Benito Pablo Juárez García (; 21 March 1806 – 18 July 1872) was a Mexican politician, military commander, and lawyer who served as the 26th president of Mexico from 1858 until his death in office in 1872. A Zapotec peoples, Zapotec, he w ...
and with additional support from the United States fought against French and royalist troops. Once the Union won the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
in 1865, the U.S. allowed supporters of President Juárez to openly purchase weapons and ammunition and issued stronger warnings to Paris. The United States sent general
William Tecumseh Sherman William Tecumseh Sherman ( ; February 8, 1820February 14, 1891) was an American soldier, businessman, educator, and author. He served as a General officer, general in the Union Army during the American Civil War (1861–1865), earning recognit ...
with 50,000 combat veterans to the Mexican border to emphasize that time had run out on the French intervention. Napoleon III had no choice but to withdraw his outnumbered army in disgrace. Emperor Maximilian refused exile and was executed by the Mexican government in 1867 in
Querétaro Querétaro, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Querétaro, is one of the Political divisions of Mexico, 32 federal entities of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Querétaro, 18 municipalities. Its capital city is Querétaro Cit ...
thus ending the
Second Mexican Empire The Second Mexican Empire (; ), officially known as the Mexican Empire (), was a constitutional monarchy established in Mexico by Mexican monarchists with the support of the Second French Empire. This period is often referred to as the Second ...
. The events of the 1860 are commemorated in both France and Mexico to this day. In Mexico,
Cinco de Mayo Cinco de Mayo (; ) is an annual celebration held on May 5 to celebrate Mexico's victory over the Second French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in 1862, led by General Ignacio Zaragoza. Zaragoza died months after the battle from an illness, ho ...
commemorates the Mexicans' victory over the French troops at the
Battle of Puebla The Battle of Puebla (; ), also known as the Battle of May 5 () took place on 5 May 1862, near Puebla de los Ángeles, during the second French intervention in Mexico. French troops under the command of Charles de Lorencez repeatedly failed to s ...
(5 May 1862). Another defeat of the French – the destruction of the small, but heroic,
French Foreign Legion The French Foreign Legion (, also known simply as , "the Legion") is a corps of the French Army created to allow List of militaries that recruit foreigners, foreign nationals into French service. The Legion was founded in 1831 and today consis ...
force at the
Battle of Camarón The Battle of Camarón (French: ) was a last stand engagement fought on 30 April 1863 between the French Foreign Legion and the Mexican Army, during the Second French intervention in Mexico (1861–1867). A small French detachment of 65 men, l ...
(30 April 1863) – is annually commemorated by the French Foreign Legion as the "Camerone Day".


20th Century

In 1911, Mexican President
Porfirio Díaz José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori (; ; 15 September 1830 – 2 July 1915) was a General (Mexico), Mexican general and politician who was the dictator of Mexico from 1876 until Mexican Revolution, his overthrow in 1911 seizing power in a Plan ...
, a former general who fought against the French during the Second French Intervention in Mexico and a
Francophile A Francophile is a person who has a strong affinity towards any or all of the French language, History of France, French history, Culture of France, French culture and/or French people. That affinity may include France itself or its history, lang ...
, left Mexico for exile in Paris where he died in 1915 and is buried at the
Montparnasse Cemetery Montparnasse Cemetery () is a cemetery in the Montparnasse quarter of Paris, in the city's 14th arrondissement of Paris, 14th arrondissement. The cemetery is roughly 47 acres and is the second largest cemetery in Paris. The cemetery has over 35,00 ...
. In December 1926, the Mexican government purchased property on ''Avenue du Président-Wilson'' and on ''Rue de Longchamp'' which are now the current Residence and embassy of Mexico in Paris. In 1940, during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Mexico opened a consulate in
Marseille Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...
to represent Mexico in
Vichy France Vichy France (; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was a French rump state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II, established as a result of the French capitulation after the Battle of France, ...
and was led by
Gilberto Bosques Saldívar Gilberto Bosques Saldívar (20 July 1892 – 4 July 1995) was a Mexican diplomat and before that a militant in the Mexican Revolution and a leftist legislator. As a consul in Marseille, Vichy France, Bosques took initiative to rescue tens o ...
.Gilberto Bosques y el consulado de México en Marsella (1940-1942) (in Spanish)
/ref> As consul, Bosques Saldívar issued approximately 40,000 visas to
Jews Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
and
Spanish Republicans The Republican faction (), also known as the Loyalist faction () or the Government faction (), was the side in the Spanish Civil War of 1936 to 1939 that supported the government of the Second Spanish Republic against the Nationalist faction of t ...
fleeing to Mexico. In 1943, Bosques, his family, and 40 consular staff members were arrested by the
Gestapo The (, ), Syllabic abbreviation, abbreviated Gestapo (), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of F ...
and detained in a "hotel-prison" in
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
for a year before being released in 1944. In 1942, Mexico severed diplomatic relations with the government of Vichy France and instead maintained diplomatic relations with the French government in exile (also known as ''
Free France Free France () was a resistance government claiming to be the legitimate government of France following the dissolution of the Third French Republic, Third Republic during World War II. Led by General , Free France was established as a gover ...
'') led by General Charles de Gaulle in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
. Full diplomatic relations were restored between both nations at the end of the war in Europe in 1945.


21st century

In December 2005, a French citizen called Florence Cassez was arrested in Mexico and charged with kidnapping, organized crime and possession of firearms. She was found guilty by a Mexican court and sentenced to 60 years imprisonment. Cassez always maintained her innocence which began a diplomatic dispute between Mexico and France. At the time, President
Nicolas Sarkozy Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sarközy de Nagy-Bocsa ( ; ; born 28 January 1955) is a French politician who served as President of France from 2007 to 2012. In 2021, he was found guilty of having tried to bribe a judge in 2014 to obtain information ...
asked the Mexican government to allow Cassez to serve her sentence in France, however the requests were denied. In 2009, Mexico cancelled its participation of 2011 "The Year of Mexico in France" (350 events, films, and symposium planned) as the French president Sarkozy declared that this year-long event was going to be dedicated to Cassez, and each individual event would have some sort of remembrance of the Frenchwoman. In January 2013, the
Mexican Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (, SCJN) is the Mexican institution serving as the country's federal high court and the spearhead organisation for the judiciary of the Mexican Federal Government. Judges of the SCJN are appointed ...
ordered her release and Cassez was flown immediately back to France. Since her release, France pledged to assist Mexico in creating a
Gendarmerie A gendarmerie () is a paramilitary or military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to " men-at-arms" (). In France and so ...
in Mexico at the request of President
Enrique Peña Nieto Enrique Peña Nieto (; born 20 July 1966), commonly referred to by his initials EPN, is a Mexican former politician and lawyer who was the 64th president of Mexico from 2012 to 2018. A member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), he p ...
. On 6 July 2017, Presidents Enrique Peña Nieto and French President
Emmanuel Macron Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron (; born 21 December 1977) is a French politician who has served as President of France and Co-Prince of Andorra since 2017. He was Ministry of Economy and Finance (France), Minister of Economics, Industr ...
met in Paris, before the G-20 summit in
Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...
,
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
. During their meeting, the leaders exchanged their views on trade, multilateralism, the fight against terrorism and climate change. In July 2021, Mexican Foreign Minister
Marcelo Ebrard Marcelo Luis Ebrard Casaubón (; born 10 October 1959) is a Mexicans, Mexican politician who has served as the Secretariat of Economy, secretary of economy since 2024. He previously served as Secretary of Foreign Affairs (Mexico), Secretary of ...
paid a visit to France and met with his counterpart
Jean-Yves Le Drian Jean-Yves Le Drian (; born 30 June 1947) is a French politician who served as Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs in the governments of Prime Ministers Édouard Philippe and Jean Castex (2017–2022) and as Minister of Defence under Preside ...
and with President Emmanuel Macron. During the visit, both nations discussed the current
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
pandemic and both nations signed a declaration of intent on strengthening cooperation against the illicit trafficking of cultural property, in order to identify mechanisms to protect and curb the traffic and pillage of cultural property illegally extracted from Mexico and subsequently marketed.


High-level visits

High-level visits from France to Mexico * President
Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French general and statesman who led the Free France, Free French Forces against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government of the French Re ...
(1964) * President
Valéry Giscard d'Estaing Valéry René Marie Georges Giscard d'Estaing (, ; ; 2 February 19262 December 2020), also known as simply Giscard or VGE, was a French politician who served as President of France from 1974 to 1981. After serving as Ministry of the Economy ...
(1979) * President
François Mitterrand François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand (26 October 19168 January 1996) was a French politician and statesman who served as President of France from 1981 to 1995, the longest holder of that position in the history of France. As a former First ...
(1981) * President
Jacques Chirac Jacques René Chirac (, ; ; 29 November 193226 September 2019) was a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He was previously Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and 1986 to 1988, as well as Mayor of Pari ...
(1998, 2002, 2004) * President
Nicolas Sarkozy Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sarközy de Nagy-Bocsa ( ; ; born 28 January 1955) is a French politician who served as President of France from 2007 to 2012. In 2021, he was found guilty of having tried to bribe a judge in 2014 to obtain information ...
(2009) * President
François Hollande François Gérard Georges Nicolas Hollande (; born 12 August 1954) is a French politician who served as President of France from 2012 to 2017. Before his presidency, he was First Secretary of the Socialist Party (France), First Secretary of th ...
(2012, 2014) High-level visits from Mexico to France * President
Adolfo López Mateos Adolfo López Mateos (; 26 May 1909 – 22 September 1969) was a Mexican politician and lawyer who served as President of Mexico from 1958 to 1964. Previously, he served as Secretariat of Labor and Social Welfare, Secretary of Labor and Social ...
(1963) * President
Luis Echeverría Álvarez Luis is a given name. It is the Spanish form of the originally Germanic name or . Other Iberian Romance languages have comparable forms: (with an accent mark on the i) in Portuguese and Galician, in Aragonese and Catalan, while is archai ...
(1973) * President
José López Portillo José Guillermo Abel López Portillo y Pacheco (; 16 June 1920 – 17 February 2004) was a Mexican writer, lawyer, and politician affiliated with the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) who served as the 58th president of Mexico from 1976 ...
(1980) * President
Miguel de la Madrid Hurtado Miguel de la Madrid Hurtado (; 12 December 1934 – 1 April 2012) was a Mexican politician affiliated with the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) who served as the 59th president of Mexico from 1982 to 1988. Inheriting a severe economic an ...
(1985) * President
Carlos Salinas de Gortari Carlos Salinas de Gortari (; born 3 April 1948) is a Mexicans, Mexican economist, historían and former politician who served as the 60th president of Mexico from 1988 to 1994. Considered the frontman of Mexican Neoliberalism by formulating, p ...
(1989, 1992) * President
Ernesto Zedillo Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de León (; born 27 December 1951) is a Mexican economist and politician. He was the 61st president of Mexico from 1994 to 2000, as the last of the uninterrupted 71-year line of Mexican presidents from the Institutional Re ...
(1997) * President
Vicente Fox Vicente Fox Quesada (; born 2 July 1942) is a Mexican businessman and politician who served as the 62nd president of Mexico from 2000 to 2006. After campaigning as a Right-wing populism, right-wing populist, Fox was elected president on the Nat ...
(2001, May and November 2002, 2003) * President
Felipe Calderón Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa (; born 18 August 1962) is a Mexican politician and lawyer who served as the 63rd president of Mexico from 2006 to 2012 and Secretary of Energy during the presidency of Vicente Fox between 2003 and 2004. ...
(2007, 2011) * President
Enrique Peña Nieto Enrique Peña Nieto (; born 20 July 1966), commonly referred to by his initials EPN, is a Mexican former politician and lawyer who was the 64th president of Mexico from 2012 to 2018. A member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), he p ...
(July and November 2015, July and December 2017) File:Heads of State Cancun Summit 1981.jpg, President José López Portillo and President François Mitterrand attending the
North–South Summit The North–South Summit, officially the International Meeting on Cooperation and Development, was an international summit held in Cancún, Mexico, from 22 to 23 October 1981. The summit was attended by representatives of 22 countries from five ...
in
Cancún Cancún is the most populous city in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, located in southeast Mexico on the northeast coast of the Yucatán Peninsula. It is a significant tourist destination in Mexico and the seat of the municipality of Benito J ...
; 1981. File:Cumbre del G20 en Los Cabos, México.jpg, President Felipe Calderón and President François Hollande in Los Cabos; 2012. File:Comida con el Presidente de la República Francesa, François Hollande, París, Francia, 17 octubre 2012 (8137216578) (2).jpg, President François Hollande and President Enrique Peña Nieto in Paris; 2012.


Bilateral agreements

Both nations have signed several bilateral agreements such as an Agreement on Favorable Nation (1827); Agreement on Friendship, Commerce and Navigation (1886); Agreement on Copyright Protection (1950); Trade Agreement (1951); Agreement on Air Transportation (1952); Agreement on Scientific and Technical Cooperation (1965); Agreement on Economic Cooperation (1981); Agreement of Cooperation between
Pemex Pemex (a portmanteau of Petróleos Mexicanos, which translates to ''Mexican Petroleum'' in English; ) is the Mexico, Mexican State ownership, state-owned Petroleum industry, petroleum corporation managed and operated by the government of Mexico, ...
and
Total S.A. TotalEnergies SE is a French multinational integrated energy and petroleum company founded in 1924 and is one of the seven supermajor oil companies. Its businesses cover the entire oil and gas chain, from crude oil and natural gas explorat ...
(1981); Franco-Mexican Declaration on Political Violence in El Salvador (1981); Agreement on work and holiday visas (2011); Agreement on Cooperation in the peaceful uses of Nuclear Energy (2015); Agreement on Social Security (2015); Agreement on Mutual Academic Recognition (2015); Aeronautical Agreement (2015) and an Agreement of Cooperation between French and Mexican Universities (2015).


Tourism and Transportation

In 2022, 258,000 French citizens visited Mexico for tourism. That same year, 500,000 Mexican citizens visited France for tourism. There are direct flights between France and Mexico with the following airlines:
Aeroméxico Aerovías de México, S.A. de C.V. () operating as Aeroméxico (; styled as AM), is the flag carrier of Mexico based in Mexico City. It operates scheduled services to more than 90 destinations in Mexico, North, South and Central America, the Ca ...
,
Air Caraïbes Air Caraïbes () is a French airline based in the French West Indies, with its headquarters in Les Abymes in Guadeloupe. The airline's main base of operations is at Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport in Guadeloupe, with a focus city at ...
and
Air France Air France (; legally ''Société Air France, S.A.''), stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the flag carrier of France, and is headquartered in Tremblay-en-France. The airline is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and is one of the founding members ...
; with direct flights available from Cancún and Mexico City international airports to Paris.


Border disputes

France and Mexico do not presently share a land border, although in the 18th-century
French Louisiana The term French Louisiana ( ; ) refers to two distinct regions: * First, to Louisiana (New France), historic French Louisiana, comprising the massive, middle section of North America claimed by Early Modern France, France during the 17th and 18th ...
did border
New Spain New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( ; Nahuatl: ''Yankwik Kaxtillan Birreiyotl''), originally the Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain. It was one of several ...
. The closest land to the French Pacific
Clipperton Island Clipperton Island ( ; ), also known as Clipperton Atoll and previously as Clipperton's Rock, is an uninhabited French coral atoll in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The only French territory in the North Pacific, Clipperton is from Paris, France ...
is Mexico, and the two countries disputed the island's ownership for several decades, until international arbitration finally awarded it to France in 1931.


Trade relations

In 1997, Mexico signed a
Free Trade Agreement A free trade agreement (FTA) or treaty is an agreement according to international law to form a free-trade area between the cooperating state (polity), states. There are two types of trade agreements: Bilateralism, bilateral and Multilateralism, m ...
with the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
(which includes France). In 2023, two-way trade between France and Mexico amounted to US$5.6 billion.Data México: France (in Spanish)
/ref> France's main exports to Mexico include: medicine, vaccinations, automobile parts, helicopters, airplanes, perfumes, make-up and electrical equipment. Mexico's main export product to France include: telephones, petroleum based products, computers, medical devices, turbines, cables and automobile parts. Over 550 French companies operate in Mexico and several Mexican multinational companies operate in France.


Resident diplomatic missions

* France has an embassy and a consulate-general in
Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
and a consulate-general in
Monterrey Monterrey (, , abbreviated as MtY) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León. It is the ninth-largest city and the second largest metropolitan area, after Greater Mexico City. Located at the foothills of th ...
. * Mexico has an
embassy A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a Sovereign state, state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase ...
and a consulate-general in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
and a liaison office in
Strasbourg Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...
.Embassy of Mexico in Paris
/ref> File:Embajada de Francia en Ciudad de México.jpg, Embassy of France in Mexico City File:Consulado-General de Francia, Ciudad de México.jpg, Consulate-General of France in Mexico City File:Embajada de México, París.jpg, Embassy of Mexico in Paris File:Consulado-General de México en París 1.jpg, Consulate-General of Mexico in Paris


See also

*
French Mexicans French Mexicans (, or ) are Mexican citizens of full or partial French ancestry. French nationals make up the second largest European immigrant group in Mexico, after Spaniards. Migration history French immigration to Mexico started only on ...
*
Lycée Français de Guadalajara Lycée français de Guadalajara (, CFM) is a French international school in Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders th ...
*
Lycée Franco-Mexicain The Liceo Franco Mexicano A.C. or the Lycée Franco-Mexicain is a private French school with three campuses. It is one of the largest French lycées in the world with over 3,000 students in its two Mexico City campuses: Polanco in Miguel Hida ...
*
Mexicans in France Mexicans in France refers to Mexicans and their French-born descendants. Paris is the main point of residence for Mexicans, but there are also considerable numbers in Strasbourg and Marseille. The House of Mexico in Paris is one of 37 residences ...
*
Panteón Francés The Panteón Francés de la Piedad ("French Cemetery of the Mercy") is a cemetery in Mexico City in which several notable people are interred. It is located in the southern section of the city, adjacent to the medical center, the Centro Medico M ...


Notes and references


Further reading

* Bancroft, Frederic. "The French in Mexico and the Monroe doctrine." ''Political science quarterly'' 11.1 (1896): 30–43
in JSTOR
* Barker, Nancy Nichols. ''The French Experience in Mexico, 1821-1861: A History of Constant Misunderstanding'' (1979), relations leading up to the French invasion
online
* Barker, Nancy Nichols. "The Factor of 'Race' in the French Experience in Mexico, 1821–1861" ''Hispanic American Historical Review,'' 59#1 (1979), 64–80. * Blumberg, Arnold. "The diplomacy of the Mexican Empire, 1863-1867." ''Transactions of the American Philosophical Society'' 61.8 (1971): 1–152. * Case, Lynn M. ''French Opinion on War and Diplomacy during the Second Empire'' (1954) * Cunningham, Michele. ''Mexico and the Foreign Policy of Napoleon III'' (2001
online PhD version
* Dabbs, Jack Autrey. ''The French army in Mexico, 1861-1867: a study in military government'' (Hague, Mouton, 1963). * Greenfield, Jerome. "The Mexican Expedition of 1862–1867 and the End of the French Second Empire." ''Historical Journal'' 63.3 (2020): 660-685
online
* Hanna, Kathryn Abbey. "The Roles of the South in the French Intervention in Mexico." ''Journal of Southern History'' 20.1 (1954): 3-21. * Hanna, Alfred J. ''Napoleon III and Mexico; American triumph over monarchy'' (1971
online free to borrow
* Ibsen, Kristine. ''Maximilian, Mexico, and the Invention of Empire'' (Vanderbilt UP, 2010). * Kelly, Patrick J. "The North American Crisis of the 1860s." ''The Journal of the Civil War Era'' 2.3 (2012): 337–368. * Mahoney, Harry Thayer, and Marjorie Locke Mahoney. ''Mexico and the Confederacy, 1860-1867''. (1998). * Martin, Percy F. ''Maximilian in Mexico; the story of the French intervention (1861-1867)'' (1914
online
* Ridley, Jasper. ''Maximilian and Juárez'' (1992)
online
* de la Rosa, Miquel. "Mexico and French Visions of the Empire’s ‘Greatest Thought’." in ''French Liberalism and Imperialism in the Age of Napoleon III'' (Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2022) pp. 137-184. * Scholes, Walter Vinton. ''Mexican politics during the Juárez regime, 1855-1872'' (1969). * Shawcross, Edward. ''France, Mexico and Informal Empire in Latin America, 1820-1867: Equilibrium in the New World'' (Palgrave Macmillan, 2018
online review
{{DEFAULTSORT:France-Mexico relations
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
Bilateral relations of Mexico