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Foreign relations between Belgium and Mexico commenced in 1836, when Belgium—itself newly independent—recognized the independence of Mexico. In 1919, the Belgian Chamber of Commerce of Mexico was established. Both nations are members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the United Nations.
Contents
History
In the 16th century, Belgian tradespeople traveled to what would become Mexico. In 1537, Belgians began Mexico's first brewery. Starting in the 1830s, Belgian engineers worked in Mexico to build the first Mexican railroad with Belgian materials; there were even plans for a Nueva Bélgica, a colony to be built in Chihuahua.
Diplomatic relations were started in 1825 when Mexico established consular relations with the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Belgium became independent in 1830, and in 1838, representatives were sent to Mexico. The first consulate-level representatives were sent to Mexico in 1842. In 1861, both nations signed a Treaty of Friendship thus formally establishing diplomatic relations.
In 1861, France, under Emperor Napoleon III, invaded Mexico. While the French were in Mexico (known as the Second French intervention in Mexico), Emperor Napoleon III helped Maximilian and his wife, Charlotte of Belgium, succeed the throne in 1864. When her husband, Maximilian I, faced execution, Belgium instructed its representative, Hoorickx, to assist the Austrian ambassador's ultimately failed efforts to persuade the Mexicans to grant clemency. After the execution of Emperor Maximilian I in 1867, Belgium and Mexico would not establish diplomatic relations until 1879.
In 1890 Belgium invested US$1.2 million to open a silver and copper mine in Michoacán. In 1900 Baron Moncheur, the Belgian Minister in Mexico, wrote a study of the conditions and resources of southern Mexican states while "contributing in great measure to the development of the commercial relations between Belgium and Mexico." In 1903 the National Railroad of Mexico, in which the Mexican Government had a large financial interest, opened a standard gauge line. The turning of the previous narrow gauge railroad into a standard gauge railroad was accomplished with 25,000 tons of rails from Belgium. By 1913 the National Railroad of Mexico was lobbying the government of Victoriano Huerta not to grant any further rights to the Belgian syndicate competing against them. Again in 1926 Belgium was shipping 1,000 tons of steel rails for the railroad.
During World War II, Mexico closed its diplomatic legation in Brussels and moved its diplomatic staff to London where the Belgian government in exile was residing. In 1940 Belgian residents of Mexico supported Hubert Pierlot as Prime Minister of Belgium during the Nazi occupation. After the war, Mexico returned to having a resident diplomatic legation in Brussels and in 1954, both nations raised their diplomatic legations to embassies. That same year, Belgium opened its embassy in Mexico on June 5, 1954.
In 1980, Mexican protesters peacefully occupied both the Belgian and Danish embassies to demand freedom for political prisoners and better living conditions for Mexicans.
Treaties
Official visits
Royal and Prime Ministerial visits from Belgium to Mexico
Presidential visits from Mexico to Belgium
Trade
Just after the end of World War I, Mexico placed large orders for arms and ammunition from both Belgium and Spain. In 2007, Mexico ranked 38th among Belgium’s trade partners. Belgian exports to Mexico were EUR 748 million, up from EUR 707 million in 2006; they grew by 5.8%. Belgian exports to Mexico accounted for 0.2% of Belgium’s total sales. Belgian imports grew from EUR 812 million in 2006 to EUR 1,050 million in 2007; they grew by 29.3%. 0.3% of Belgian imports came from Mexico. The American/Belgian company Anheuser-Busch InBev owns a 50 percent share in Grupo Modelo, Mexico's leading brewer and owner of the global Corona brand. In 2014, two-way trade between both nations amounted to $2.6 billion USD.