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Germany–Mexico relations refers to the diplomatic relations between Germany and Mexico. Both nations are members of the G-20 major economies, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the United Nations.
Contents
History
One of the first contacts between Germany and Mexico was via the expedition of Alexander von Humboldt who arrived in Mexico in 1803 and remained for one year mapping Mexican topography and studying its culture and history. Diplomatic relations between Mexico and Germany were established on 23 January 1879 after the unification of Germany.
During the Spanish Civil War, Mexico and Germany supported opposing sides of the conflict, with Mexico supporting the Republicans and Nazi Germany supporting the Nationalists. This indirectly put Mexico and Germany against each other.
During World War I (1914-1918) Mexico remained neutral. During this time, Mexico was preoccupied with its revolution (1910-1920) which took place the same time as World War I. In January 1917, British agents intercepted a telegram sent to German Ambassador to Mexico Heinrich von Eckardt by Arthur Zimmermann, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs of the German Empire. In the telegram, Germany proposed to Mexico that if the United States were to join the war, Mexico should join and side with the Central Powers. In appreciation, and if the Central Powers were to win, Mexico would recuperate the territory of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona that Mexico lost in its war with the United States during the Mexican–American War in 1848. The telegram, known as the Zimmermann Telegram was intercepted when the telegram was being wired to the German embassy in Washington, DC to be re-routed to Mexico City. Mexico eventually rejected the telegram and continued to remain neutral during the war.
On 22 May 1942, Mexico declared war on Germany during World War II. The decision for war was made by Mexican President Manuel Ávila Camacho after German U-boats destroyed two Mexican oil tankers in the Gulf of Mexico; the SS Potrero del Llano and SS Faja de Oro, both carrying crude oil to the United States. Mexico is only one of two Latin-American nations to contribute soldiers during the war (the other nation being Brazil). However, more Mexican troops fought in the Philippines than in Europe. Diplomatic relations between the two nations were re-established on 16 April 1952.
After World War II, Mexico maintained diplomatic relations with both the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). During this time period, Mexico maintained an embassy in Bonn. After the reunification of Germany in 1990, Mexico established relations with the Federal Republic of Germany and in the year 2000, Mexico moved its embassy to its current location in Berlin.
State visits
Chancellor and Presidential visits from Germany to Mexico
Presidential visits from Mexico to Germany
Migration
There is a sizable German origin community in Mexico that thrives and several prominent Mexican politicians, journalists, artists and actors are of German descent. There is also a Mennonite community in Mexico with approximately 100,000 members in Northern Mexico of predominant German origin.
Trade relations
In 1997, Mexico signed a Free Trade Agreement with the European Union (which includes Germany). In 2014, two-trade between both nations amounted to $17.2 billion USD. Germany is Mexico's biggest trading partner within the European Union and fifth biggest globally. At the same time, Mexico is Germany's second biggest trading partner in Latin America (after Brazil) and 30th on a global level. There are over 1,300 Germany companies based in Mexico with total capital amounting to $25 billion USD. Most notable German industries in Mexico mainly belong to the automotive sections, such as: Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen. A few Mexican multi-national companies such as Cemex and Ruhrpumpen operate in Germany.