Japan, Mexico agree to deepen energy cooperation amid supply disruptions

Japan and Mexico used a 20-minute leaders’ call to signal a broader energy reset as the Iran war rattled oil and gas supply lines far from the battlefield. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo agreed on April 21 to deepen cooperation, with Tokyo saying the conversation covered global disruption, bilateral economic relations and future exchanges.

The talks went beyond routine diplomacy. Takaichi proposed creating a wider dialogue framework that would include economic security, a sign that both governments are treating energy not just as a trade issue but as a resilience test. Japan also raised the prospect of improving conditions for Japanese companies operating in Mexico, while the Mexican side focused on investment, trade and cooperation.

The timing matters because Japan remains deeply exposed to shocks in the Middle East. About 95% of Japan’s crude oil imports come from that region, and roughly 73.7% to 74% of those shipments move through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most vulnerable energy chokepoints. Any disruption there, whether from conflict, naval tension or shipping delays, can ripple through Japanese industry, fuel prices and inflation.

For Tokyo, that makes diversification more than a slogan. Japanese policymakers have already moved to expand emergency oil-related measures in response to Middle East uncertainty, underscoring how quickly a regional war can force a distant importer to stress-test its own supply system. For Mexico, the conversation offered a chance to pair its energy and mineral assets with a larger Asian economy at a moment when global buyers are reassessing risk.

The bilateral relationship already has a long institutional base. Japan and Mexico’s Economic Partnership Agreement has been in force since April 1, 2005, and Mexico said in 2025 that Japan was its sixth-largest trading partner globally and its only free trade partner in Asia. The two countries marked the EPA’s 20th anniversary in 2025, giving the call an added reminder of how long their economic links have been in place.

Mexico’s own energy picture helps explain why broader cooperation is attractive. Pemex reported 2025 total oil production of about 1.635 million barrels per day, the lowest in 46 years, putting pressure on Mexico to seek outside investment and more strategic industrial partnerships. In that context, deeper coordination with Japan is less about a single phone call than about how middle powers are adapting to a more fragile global energy map.