Published: Friday, March 14, 2025

Mexico’s legal framework for mining is set to become clearer by mid-year when the government expects to publish the regulations required to implement the amended mining law, which was reformed in May 2023.

After six years of uncertainty due to a freeze on the granting of concessions and delays in issuing key permits for mining operations, the Claudia Sheinbaum administration, which took office in October, is signaling greater openness toward the sector, which is considered strategic for the economy and the energy transition.

In this context, the government and the private sector, led by the mining chamber (Camimex), are working together to develop a regulatory framework to provide greater certainty for operations, according to Fernando Aboitiz, head of the extractive activities coordination unit at the economy ministry.

Speaking at the Mexico Mining Forum 2025 PDAC in Toronto, Canada, Aboitiz said: “By June, we will have regulations that clarify the rules and provide more certainty. We’re working on this together with the chamber [Camimex].”

As a first step, Aboitiz noted that various types of permits have been steadily issued over the past six weeks, fulfilling a commitment made by the administration to various industry groups.

Rubén del Pozo, president of the association of mining engineers, metallurgists and geologists of Mexico (AIMMGM), said at a Women in Mining event in Mexico City on Thursday that at least 27 permits have been granted to date.

“We’re seeing progress under this administration,” he told BNamericas.

While acknowledging to mining executives in Toronto that relations with the industry “haven’t necessarily been good” in recent years, Aboitiz stressed that one of the government’s goals is to expand Mexico’s mining sector in a sustainable manner.

He explained that decisions such as expediting permit approvals came after visits to mining sites across the country, which allowed authorities to gain a deeper understanding of the industry. He also revealed that the environment ministry (Semarnat) has asked the government to create clean company certifications, which would help streamline regulatory processes.

Another concern for authorities is what Aboitiz referred to as social certification. “We need to be clear about the social efforts being made and establish a uniform standard, understanding that each community and each mine has its own characteristics, size and conditions. Nothing is the same, but we need a certification standard,” he said.

Regulations

Regarding concerns over a potential ban on open-pit mining, a measure initially proposed by former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Aboitiz assured that no such restriction is included in the current legislative changes, allowing the sector to remain at ease.

“There is a clear commitment to issuing new regulations to help address and clarify key issues, making processes as manageable as possible, and we will need to work and manage the timing of a strategy within the global context,” Aboitiz said, citing US tariffs as an example.

Raúl García, president of the college of mining engineers, metallurgists and geologists of Mexico (CIMMGM), said at an event in Mexico City that “regulations give form and structure to the law,” noting that governments can make adjustments to legislation if necessary.

Addressing industry concerns over the geological service SGM being granted exclusive rights to exploration, Aboitiz said the government wants mining companies with existing concessions to continue exploring independently, while the state also carries out its own exploration efforts.

However, the official acknowledged that authorities also aim to increase state participation in new concessions awarded to private companies through the SGM, ensuring profitability for both parties. As a result, the regulations will need to clarify how the law will be applied and how bidding processes will be handled.

“We need to determine what models can be implemented. If a company wants not only to explore but also to mine, how can we provide certainty from the outset so their investment is not at risk? That’s something we’re working on with the chamber to ensure it functions properly, because as it stands, the law doesn’t work,” Aboitiz said.

Del Pozo said the mining law “needs to be made more flexible” as it remains “quite strict,” but he acknowledged that progress has been made. “We’re moving forward with optimism. The message from authorities is much more open and positive than before.”

When asked by BNamericas about Aboitiz’s comments at the PDAC, Camimex executive director Karen Flores highlighted “a great level of collaboration.”

“This new administration is clearly more open to working together, particularly to promote a responsible mining sector,” she said.

“You all know that mining is essential for the country. Minerals are indispensable for the sustainable future we’re striving for, and beyond that, they are a crucial input for other industries and government projects such as the energy transition and electromobility,” Flores added.

She also noted that during the PDAC, it was confirmed that the industry is prepared to invest US$12bn over the next two years through companies such as Grupo México.