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Foreign Direct Investment Agreement Mexico (Acuerdo de Inversión Extranjera Directa)

Foreign Direct Investment Agreement Mexico (Acuerdo de Inversión Extranjera Directa)

ACUERDO DE INVERSIÓN EXTRANJERA DIRECTA

Celebrado conforme a la Ley de Inversión Extranjera (Artículos 6 y 19)

I. PARTES

INVERSIONISTA EXTRANJERO:

Nombre: [Investor Name]

Nacionalidad / País de Constitución: [Investor Nationality]

Registro en País de Origen: [Investor Registration]

Domicilio: [Investor Address]

Representante Legal en México: [Investor Representative]

EMPRESA RECEPTORA:

Denominación: [Investee Name]

RFC: [Investee RFC]

Inscripción RPC: [Investee RPC]

Domicilio Social: [Investee Address]

Actividad Económica Principal: [Business Activity]

II. TÉRMINOS DE LA INVERSIÓN

Tipo de Inversión: [Investment Type].

Monto de la Inversión: [Investment Amount].

Porcentaje de Participación Extranjera: [Equity Percentage].

Serie de Acciones: [Share Class].

III. CUMPLIMIENTO REGULATORIO

Autorización CNIE: [CNIE Required].

Cláusula Calvo: [Calvo Clause].

Registro RNIE: Las partes reconocen la obligación de registrar la presente inversión extranjera directa ante el Registro Nacional de Inversiones Extranjeras (RNIE) de la Secretaría de Economía dentro de los 40 días hábiles siguientes a la fecha de la presente inversión, conforme al Artículo 19 de la Ley de Inversión Extranjera.

IV. LEY APLICABLE Y JURISDICCIÓN

El presente acuerdo se rige por la Ley de Inversión Extranjera (Artículos 6 y 19), la Ley General de Sociedades Mercantiles, la Ley del Impuesto sobre la Renta y los tratados internacionales aplicables en materia de inversión, incluyendo el T-MEC (Capítulo 14). Para cualquier controversia, las partes se someten a la jurisdicción de los Tribunales competentes de la Ciudad de México, sin perjuicio de los mecanismos de solución de controversias inversionista-Estado previstos en los tratados internacionales aplicables.

FIRMAS

En [Contract City], a [Contract Date].

EL INVERSIONISTA EXTRANJERO:

[Investor Name]

Por: [Investor Representative]

Firma: _________________________

LA EMPRESA RECEPTORA:

[Investee Name]

Firma: _________________________

Foreign Investor (Inversionista Extranjero)

________________

Signature

Mexican Investee Company (Empresa Receptora)

________________

Signature

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What Is a Foreign Direct Investment Agreement Mexico (Acuerdo de Inversión Extranjera Directa)?

A Foreign Direct Investment Agreement Mexico (Acuerdo de Inversión Extranjera Directa) is a formal legal instrument governed principally by the Ley de Inversión Extranjera (LIE, Decreto publicado en el DOF el 27 de diciembre de 1993 y sus reformas) that documents the terms under which a foreign investor (inversionista extranjero) — whether a natural person (persona física no mexicana) or a foreign legal entity (persona moral extranjera) — makes a direct equity investment in a Mexican company (sociedad mexicana) or acquires a participation in a Mexican joint venture (empresa conjunta). Article 6 LIE establishes the general principle of freedom of foreign investment in Mexico — foreign capital may freely participate in any economic activity not expressly reserved to the Mexican State (actividades reservadas al Estado) or to Mexican nationals (actividades reservadas a mexicanos), without requiring prior government authorization. Article 19 LIE establishes the registration obligation — all foreign direct investment transactions must be registered with the Registro Nacional de Inversiones Extranjeras (RNIE), administered by the Secretaría de Economía (SE), within 40 business days of the investment date.

The LIE classifies economic activities into four tiers for foreign investment purposes. Activities exclusively reserved to the Mexican State (actividades exclusivamente reservadas al Estado) under Article 5 LIE include: petroleum exploration and production (now partially opened through the energy reform of 2013 under the Ley de Hidrocarburos, but with significant federal government control); generation and transmission of nuclear energy; coinage (acuñación de moneda); postal services; telegraph services; radionavigation; and certain military activities. Activities reserved exclusively to Mexican nationals (actividades reservadas a mexicanos) under Article 6 LIE include domestic land transportation for passengers (except tourist transportation), retail gasoline distribution, and certain broadcasting and publishing activities. Activities with specific foreign ownership limits (actividades con límites de participación extranjera) under Articles 7 and 8 LIE include: financial institutions (banking: up to 49% foreign for some categories; insurance: up to 100% with CNIE authorization; pension fund managers — AFORES: up to 100% with SE authorization), domestic air transportation (49% foreign maximum), fishing (49%), port administration (49%), and printing and publication of newspapers for exclusive circulation in Mexico (0% foreign).

For all other activities not restricted by Articles 5, 6, 7, or 8 LIE — including manufacturing, technology, professional services, retail trade, tourism, agriculture, and most service industries — foreign investors may acquire 100% ownership of Mexican companies without prior government authorization (though RNIE registration within 40 business days remains mandatory under Article 19 LIE). This open investment framework has made Mexico one of Latin America's top destinations for foreign direct investment, with the Secretaría de Economía reporting over $36 billion USD of FDI annually in recent years.

When a foreign investment requires prior authorization (investicments in restricted sectors or above certain thresholds), Article 8 LIE assigns the authorization function to the Comisión Nacional de Inversiones Extranjeras (CNIE) — an interministerial commission chaired by the Secretary of Economy and including the heads of the Secretarías de Hacienda, Relaciones Exteriores, Gobernación, Agricultura, and other ministries. The CNIE reviews and approves foreign investments above certain thresholds in any economic sector — the threshold for 2025 is approximately $1.15 billion USD in aggregate transaction value — under a national interest and competition assessment. Transactions involving strategic or security-sensitive sectors face closer CNIE scrutiny regardless of value.

For tax purposes, a foreign direct investment in a Mexican company triggers obligations under both Mexico's Ley del Impuesto sobre la Renta (LISR) and applicable bilateral tax treaties. Foreign investors in Mexican companies are subject to 10% ISR withholding on dividends under Article 164 LISR, with reduced rates available under Mexico's tax treaties with the United States (0% or 5% for significant corporate shareholders), Canada, European Union members, and over 60 other treaty partners. Capital gains from the sale of Mexican company shares by foreign investors are generally subject to 25% or 35% ISR under Articles 160 and 161 LISR (depending on whether the shares are listed) unless exempt under an applicable tax treaty.

When Do You Need a Foreign Direct Investment Agreement Mexico (Acuerdo de Inversión Extranjera Directa)?

A Foreign Direct Investment Agreement Mexico is required or strongly recommended in the following situations:

Greenfield investment: When a foreign company establishes a new Mexican subsidiary (filial mexicana) — typically a sociedad anónima de capital variable (S.A. de C.V.) or sociedad de responsabilidad limitada (S. de R.L. de C.V.) under the Ley General de Sociedades Mercantiles — and contributes initial capital in cash or kind. The investment agreement documents the terms of the foreign shareholder's equity participation, the board representation rights, and the initial business plan.

Acquisition of existing Mexican company shares: When a foreign investor acquires shares (acciones) or equity interests (partes sociales) in an existing Mexican company from current shareholders (compraventa de acciones). The investment agreement, together with the share purchase agreement (contrato de compraventa de acciones) and the shareholders' agreement (convenio de accionistas), governs the terms of the acquisition and post-closing governance.

Joint venture establishment: When a foreign company and a Mexican company jointly establish a new Mexican entity for a specific business purpose — the investment agreement defines each party's equity contribution, management rights (representing de facto control), board composition, profit-sharing, and exit provisions.

Restricted sector authorization: When a foreign investor seeks to invest in a sector requiring prior CNIE authorization under LIE art. 8 — financial services, air transportation, broadcasting — the investment agreement documents the agreed terms pending CNIE approval, with conditions precedent (condiciones suspensivas) tied to receipt of the required authorizations.

Capital repatriation planning: When a foreign investor in a Mexican company needs to document in advance the mechanisms for repatriating dividends, interest on shareholder loans, royalties, or capital gains — the investment agreement should specify the applicable withholding tax rates under LISR arts. 164–167, the applicable bilateral tax treaty (Mexico-US 1992, Mexico-Canada 2006, or applicable EU treaty), and the Banco de México foreign exchange regulations governing international fund transfers, to confirm there are no restrictions on the planned repatriation structure before capital is committed.

Under Ley de Inversión Extranjera arts. 6 and 19, all foreign direct investment transactions in Mexico must be registered with the RNIE within 40 business days. Transactions in restricted sectors require prior CNIE authorization. The Calvo Clause (cláusula Calvo) must be included in the company's estatutos sociales — foreign shareholders agree not to invoke the protection of their home government in connection with the investment.

What to Include in Your Foreign Direct Investment Agreement Mexico (Acuerdo de Inversión Extranjera Directa)

A valid Foreign Direct Investment Agreement Mexico under LIE arts. 6 and 19 must include the following essential elements:

Party Identification: Full legal name, nationality, and domicile of the foreign investor (natural person or legal entity); for foreign legal entities, the jurisdiction of incorporation, registration number, and authorized representative's name and power of attorney. The Mexican investee company's (empresa receptora) RFC, Registro Público de Comercio inscription number, registered address, and authorized representative.

Investment Structure and Amount: The nature of the investment — equity (capital social), shareholder loan (préstamo de accionistas), hybrid instrument (instrumento híbrido) — and the total investment amount in USD or MXN, specifying the exchange rate reference (tipo de cambio) for currency conversion using the rate published by Banco de México. For equity investments, the number and class of shares (acciones nominativas) or equity interests (partes sociales) being subscribed or acquired, and the resulting percentage ownership (porcentaje de participación) in the investee company's capital.

Sector Compliance and CNIE Authorization: Identification of the investee company's primary economic activity (SCIAN sector code) and confirmation of whether the investment falls within any restricted sector under LIE arts. 5, 6, 7, or 8 requiring prior CNIE authorization. If CNIE authorization is required, the agreement should include a condition precedent (condición suspensiva) making the investment contingent on obtaining the required authorization.

RNIE Registration Obligation: The parties' acknowledgment of the obligation to register the foreign investment with the Registro Nacional de Inversiones Extranjeras (RNIE) within 40 business days under LIE art. 19, identifying which party is responsible for filing the registration.

Calvo Clause: The foreign investor's express agreement, as required by LIE art. 19 and the investee company's estatutos sociales, to consider themselves Mexican nationals with respect to their investment and not to invoke the protection of their home government in disputes relating to the investment — violations entitle the Mexican government to declare the investment void.

Governance Rights: Board representation (número de consejeros), voting rights, information rights (derecho de información), veto rights over reserved matters (materias reservadas), and anti-dilution protections for the foreign investor. Forms-legal.com provides this Foreign Direct Investment Agreement Mexico template as a starting reference. Every foreign investment in a Mexican company requires legal counsel specializing in LIE compliance, RNIE registration within 40 business days, and — for restricted sectors — advance CNIE authorization. Transfer Pricing Compliance: Where the foreign investor is related to the Mexican investee company (empresa relacionada or vinculada), all transactions between them — management fees, royalties, intercompany loans, shared services — must be priced at arm's length under LISR Article 76 fractions IX and XII and the OECD Transfer Pricing Guidelines incorporated by the SAT's Resolución Miscelánea Fiscal. The investee company must file an annual Estudio de Precios de Transferencia (transfer pricing study) with the SAT and, if transactions exceed the applicable threshold, a Declaración Informativa de Operaciones con Partes Relacionadas (DIOT-PR). The investment agreement should document the initial intercompany pricing policy agreed between the parties.

Anti-Corruption Compliance: Foreign investors operating in Mexico must implement compliance with both Mexico's Ley General de Responsabilidades Administrativas (LGRA, effective July 2017) anti-corruption provisions and the requirements of their home jurisdiction — the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) for US investors, the UK Bribery Act for UK investors. The investment agreement should include representations and warranties that neither party has engaged in corrupt practices with Mexican public officials (servidores públicos).

Forms-legal.com provides this Foreign Direct Investment Agreement Mexico template as a starting reference. Consult a Mexican corporate lawyer and the Secretaría de Economía before finalizing the investment structure.

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@misc{formslegal-foreign-direct-investment-agreement-mexico,
  author       = {{Forms Legal}},
  title        = {Foreign Direct Investment Agreement Mexico (Acuerdo de Inversión Extranjera Directa) (Mexico)},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://forms-legal.com/mexico/business/corporate/foreign-direct-investment-agreement-mexico}},
  note         = {Free legal document template}
}

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