Mexican Peso resumes downside after Republicans take Congress
- The Mexican Peso is resuming its downtrend after Republicans have won a majority in Congress.
- This will augment their power to push through radical fiscal and immigration policies that could be detrimental to the Peso.
- USD/MXN closes in on the November high after rebounding from the base of a rising channel.
The Mexican Peso (MXN) resumes the slide in its key pairs on Thursday after briefly pausing on Wednesday following the release of US inflation data. Republicans winning a majority in the US Congress is weighing on the Peso as it gives the party a “clean sweep” of the Presidency, the US Senate, and the House of Representatives. This will augment its power to push through policies, many of which the market is assessing as directly negative to the Peso (or positive for the US Dollar (USD)).
A more immediate bearish factor for the Peso comes in the form of market expectations that the Bank of Mexico (Banxico) will cut its main interest rate by 25 basis points (bps) (0.25%) to 10.25% at its meeting on Thursday. In a Reuters survey, 19 out of 20 economists said they expected Banxico to cut by 0.25% at the meeting, according to Christian Borjon Valencia, Editor at FXStreet.
Mexican Peso faces headwinds from US protectionism
The Mexican Peso continues to face broader headwinds from the prospect of increased US protectionism under the leadership of President-elect Donald Trump. The imposition of tariffs on Mexican imports and the threat to deport millions of illegal workers who regularly send remittances home are both likely to reduce demand for the Peso.
The Peso steadied on Wednesday amid US Dollar weakness after the US Consumer Price Index (CPI) in October aligned with economists’ expectations. This solidified expectations that the US Federal Reserve (Fed) will cut interest rates by a quarter of a percent (25 bps) at its meeting in December. This, in turn, restrained the strength of the US Dollar since lower interest rates reduce foreign capital inflows – and gave the Peso some breathing space.
Comments from Mexican Finance Minister Marcelo Ebrard further supported the MXN after he said on Wednesday that the level of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Mexico likely hit a new record high of $35.732 billion in 2024, according to El Financiero. Ebrard also hit back at suggestions from Canada’s Prime Minister of Ontario, Doug Ford, that the US and Canada should sign their own private free trade deal, saying that it was better for the Canadian economy to include Mexico, thereby maintaining the current USMCA tripartite agreement.
Technical Analysis: USD/MXN closes in on November high
USD/MXN resumes its rally within a rising channel after a brief pause. The short-term trend is bullish, and given the technical analysis saying that “the trend is your friend,” the odds favor a continuation higher.
USD/MXN Daily Chart
USD/MXN is also in an uptrend on a medium and long-term basis, adding weight to the move higher. A break above 20.80 (November 6 high) would confirm a higher high and an extension of the bullish trend. The next upside target lies at 21.00 (round number, upper boundary of channel), where buyers could start to meet resistance.
Mexican Peso FAQs
The Mexican Peso (MXN) is the most traded currency among its Latin American peers. Its value is broadly determined by the performance of the Mexican economy, the country’s central bank’s policy, the amount of foreign investment in the country and even the levels of remittances sent by Mexicans who live abroad, particularly in the United States. Geopolitical trends can also move MXN: for example, the process of nearshoring – or the decision by some firms to relocate manufacturing capacity and supply chains closer to their home countries – is also seen as a catalyst for the Mexican currency as the country is considered a key manufacturing hub in the American continent. Another catalyst for MXN is Oil prices as Mexico is a key exporter of the commodity.
The main objective of Mexico’s central bank, also known as Banxico, is to maintain inflation at low and stable levels (at or close to its target of 3%, the midpoint in a tolerance band of between 2% and 4%). To this end, the bank sets an appropriate level of interest rates. When inflation is too high, Banxico will attempt to tame it by raising interest rates, making it more expensive for households and businesses to borrow money, thus cooling demand and the overall economy. Higher interest rates are generally positive for the Mexican Peso (MXN) as they lead to higher yields, making the country a more attractive place for investors. On the contrary, lower interest rates tend to weaken MXN.
Macroeconomic data releases are key to assess the state of the economy and can have an impact on the Mexican Peso (MXN) valuation. A strong Mexican economy, based on high economic growth, low unemployment and high confidence is good for MXN. Not only does it attract more foreign investment but it may encourage the Bank of Mexico (Banxico) to increase interest rates, particularly if this strength comes together with elevated inflation. However, if economic data is weak, MXN is likely to depreciate.
As an emerging-market currency, the Mexican Peso (MXN) tends to strive during risk-on periods, or when investors perceive that broader market risks are low and thus are eager to engage with investments that carry a higher risk. Conversely, MXN tends to weaken at times of market turbulence or economic uncertainty as investors tend to sell higher-risk assets and flee to the more-stable safe havens.
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