The Mexican mining sector is facing a phase of new dynamism. The Ministry of Economy of the Latin American country expects that Mexican mining will invest a total of around USD 7 billion once all outstanding environmental and operating permits have been granted. After a period of political restraint, the sector should once again become a pillar for growth, employment and the supply of critical raw materials – albeit under clear social and environmental conditions.
Mexican Mining Between Investments and Acceptance in the Communities
Fernando Aboitiz, Head of the Coordination Unit for Extractive Industries at the Ministry of Economy, explained at the XXXVI International Mining Convention 2025 that 176 previously blocked permits in the mining sector are awaiting a decision. Once these have been approved, he believes that mining in Mexico could easily mobilize investments of around USD 7 billion.
Aboitiz also emphasized that while mining projects are of great importance to Mexico, they will only find government support if they are compatible with the country’s social and environmental priorities. President Claudia Sheinbaum has given clear instructions to work directly with the communities and local representatives – especially in Ejidos – to ensure that mining is beneficial and does not leave any lasting burdens.
The past few years have been marked by uncertainty for Mexican mining. Delayed or absent permits had jeopardized the continuity of operations in many projects. According to Aboitiz, around 100 of the 175 or 176 pending applications have now been approved, allowing numerous mines and projects to continue or resume their work. The government wants to make it clear that it does not fundamentally reject mining, but rather relies on socially responsible and sustainable projects.
Political Shift: From Permit Freeze to Controlled Opening
Under the previous government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Mexico’s mining policy was very restrictive. New concessions were not granted, and permits were often delayed or blocked. With the inauguration of President Sheinbaum, the course has changed: permits are being issued again, while the state and authorities remain closely involved and are pursuing a more controlling approach.
According to data from the industry association CAMIMEX, there are currently 574 mining projects in 30 states in Mexico. Mexican mining continues to focus on classic mining regions such as Sonora with 126 projects, Chihuahua with 67 projects and Durango with 59 projects. Of the nationwide projects, 225 each are in the exploration and production phase, 27 are in development, 85 are currently suspended and 12 are in the closure phase.
At the conference, Minister of Economy Marcelo Ebrard announced that the approval processes for mining projects would be further accelerated in 2026. The aim is to enable large-volume exploration programs while at the same time serving the increasing global demand for critical raw materials. At the same time, he referred to the shared responsibility of the state and companies for sustainability, environmental requirements and labor standards. Mexican mining should thus become a stable contributor to economic growth, job creation and the transition to more responsible production standards.
Mexican Mining in the Focus of Stricter Environmental Standards
Parallel to the discussion about investments and permits, Mexico is working on modernizing the regulatory framework. At the Mexico Mining Forum 2025, the Ministry of the Environment SEMARNAT explained that several central standards (NOMs) for mining are being revised.
SEMARNAT Director Luz Mariana Pérez emphasized that the authority sees itself not only as a pure environmental supervisor, but also as a partner for companies to enable regulatory compliance. The revision extends to standards for direct exploration, waste management and tailings dams. This includes, among other things, the updating of NOM-120 for exploration work, NOM-157 for plans for handling mining waste, NOM-141 for the management of tailings dams and a new standard NOM-147 for the remediation of contaminated soils.
Existing regulations for leaching systems for gold, silver and copper – such as NOM-155 and NOM-159 – remain in force and continue to form the framework for chemical processes in Mexican mining. According to Pérez, all adjustments are based on technical studies in which both academic institutions and industry representatives were involved. The aim is to combine high environmental and safety standards with practicable specifications so that projects can actually be implemented without shifting environmental or liability risks into the future.
Outlook: Mexican Mining Between Raw Material Hunger and Regulation
For Mexican mining, this indicates a field of tension between increasing demand, growing willingness to invest and strict regulation. The government is aiming to reduce the permit backlog and uncertainty of the past few years without losing control over social and environmental impacts.
The announced investments of around USD 7 billion could bring new momentum to exploration and production projects – from precious metals such as gold and silver to copper and critical raw materials for the energy transition. At the same time, the updating of environmental regulations signals that projects in Mexico will in future be measured even more strongly against criteria such as community participation, protection of Ejidos and long-term remediation.
For companies, this means that opportunities and requirements are increasing equally. Projects in Mexican mining not only require a solid technical and economic basis, but also increasingly reliable environmental and social concepts. The current policy of the Ministry of Economy and SEMARNAT aims to enable new investments – but only where they are in line with the long-term interests of the state, communities and the environment.
The environment for development and exploration companies in Mexico is now considerably more positive
One of the companies that is already meeting these standards is the Canadian Silver Tiger Metals (WKN A2P4YL / TSXV SLVR) with its El Tigre mine in Sonora, which is already well advanced in its development. Silver Tiger already received all permits from the Mexican Ministry of the Environment for the construction of an open-pit mine on the project earlier this month!
CEO Glenn Jessome’s company is now working flat out to finance the construction of the open-pit mine. And the first successes can already be reported here. Just yesterday, Wednesday, Silver Tiger announced that it has now completed a bought deal financing totaling CAD 40.004 million!
Further information on Silver Tiger can be found in the company profile on Goldinvest.de
The prospects for the copper explorer Axo Copper (WKN A416BY / TSXV AXO) have also improved significantly with the regulatory developments in Mexico. The company is currently exploring the high-grade La Huerta copper project in the Mexican state of Jalisco and recently presented strong drilling results.
Axo Copper also made headlines this week with an extremely exciting deal! As the young company of CEO Jonathan Eglio announced, it has secured the San Antonio gold project in Sonora. This is a former producer that already has a resource of around 1.1 million ounces of gold in accordance with the Canadian standard NI 43-101.
Further information on Axo Copper can be found in the company profile on Goldinvest.de
Another affected company that we will be presenting to the readers of Goldinvest.de in more detail shortly is the Canadian Algo Grande Copper – currently still under Kenadyr Metals on the stock exchange – which is exploring the Adelita project in Sonora and is targeting copper as well as gold and silver.
Adelita is a multi-systemic area with a high-grade skarn discovery, a large-scale porphyry target (Mezquital) and the Las Trancas hydrothermal target. The project has more than USD 8 million in historical exploration work, including 7,000 meters of drilling and extensive geophysics. Algo Grande is supported by an experienced technical team led by Dr. Peter Megaw, one of the co-founders of MAG Silver.
An overview of Algo Grande Copper and the Adelita project is available on Goldinvest.de
