President Claudia Sheinbaum is reaching into her economic bullpen for Mexico’s next top voice in Washington. On Thursday, she said she will propose economist Roberto Lazzeri as Mexico’s new ambassador to the United States, a move that would replace current envoy Esteban Moctezuma just as the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade pact heads into a critical review. The choice points squarely to a finance-first strategy at a time when tariffs, investment disputes and supply-chain rules dominate the agenda between the two neighbors.
"We need to submit it to the United States and see if they approve the process," Sheinbaum told reporters at her daily press conference, according to Reuters. The outlet notes that Lazzeri would take over from Esteban Moctezuma, who has served as ambassador since 2021.
Who Is Roberto Lazzeri?
Lazzeri currently runs Nacional Financiera (Nafin) and Banco Nacional de Comercio Exterior (Bancomext), two of Mexico’s main development banks, and has previously overseen public-debt operations for the federal government. He was tapped to head Nafin and Bancomext in August 2025 after holding senior posts at the Finance Ministry, according to Bloomberg Línea.
Trade Talks And Tariff Pressure
The timing of the nomination is no accident. Mexico and Canada are eyeing the upcoming USMCA review as a chance to push for relief from steep U.S. duties imposed last year that have squeezed automakers and tightly integrated suppliers. That trade backdrop, highlighted in Reuters coverage, helps explain why Sheinbaum is leaning toward a finance-minded ambassador who can talk tariffs as fluently as diplomacy.
Why Lazzeri Could Be The Pick
Bloomberg Línea reports that Lazzeri has already been in the room for sensitive discussions with U.S. trade and Treasury officials. He has played a behind-the-scenes role in negotiating the government’s response to last year’s financial-designation disputes, as well as in the acquisition of Iberdrola power assets, experiences that give him hands-on cross-border finance credentials. Those relationships, combined with his track record overseeing debt issuance, make him an unconventional but logical choice to push Mexico’s economic priorities in Washington.
Next Steps
Procedurally, the president must send the ambassadorial nomination to the Mexican Senate for ratification and request agrément, the U.S. government’s formal approval, as outlined when Esteban Moctezuma was named ambassador in 2020, according to the Presidencia de México. If Washington grants agrément and the Senate signs off, Lazzeri would take over the post just as trade rules and tariff fights sit front and center in talks between the two countries.
If confirmed, Lazzeri would inherit Mexico’s most high-profile diplomatic job at a delicate moment for economic ties, with tariff relief, supply-chain rules and investor confidence all in play. The nomination is a clear bet that technical financial expertise can help steady a tense, high-stakes economic relationship between Mexico and the United States.
.jpg){kind=link}