The transportation of natural gas from the United States to Mexico through pipelines has become a challenge for the latter, as it is facing penalties for not meeting contract requirements. This issue has been exacerbated by the energy reform implemented in the last six years.
According to Fabio Barbosa, an academic at the UNAM Economic Research Institute, fuel trade between Mexico and the United States has a long history dating back to Porfirio Díaz’s time. However, in recent years, this trade has increased significantly, particularly for electricity generation purposes. Mexico now purchases over 8 billion cubic feet of gas per day, exceeding its own production. This trend began with modest purchases during Ernesto Zedillo’s presidency but escalated after the energy reform in 2015, leading to a flood of shale oil and gas in the market.
The overproduction of natural gas in Texas, where Mexico’s main suppliers are located, led to increased exports to Mexico. However, due to unfair contracts that shifted the cost of gas pipelines onto Mexican taxpayers, daily losses and penalties were incurred for non-compliance. As a result of this situation, under the current administration, CFE (Comisión Federal de Energía) renegotiated gas contracts with suppliers to avoid further financial burdens. While imports are currently necessary due to existing infrastructure limitations and dependency on foreign sources of energy supply
