Mexican Crude Closes $4 Below the Finance Ministry's Benchmark

The Mexican Export Mix closed on Tuesday, June 16, at $73.05 per barrel, $4.25 below the $77.30 benchmark set by the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP) in the Pre-General Economic Policy Criteria 2027, according to El Financiero.

The decline deepened following a preliminary peace agreement between the United States and Iran, which reduced the geopolitical risk premium in energy markets. According to Bloomberg Línea, on Monday, June 15, the Mix recorded a 5% intraday drop when WTI was trading at $80 per barrel and Brent at $83. Mexican crude has a direct impact on the federal budget: for every dollar of variation in its price, the federal public sector gains or loses approximately 9,600 million pesos in oil revenues, based on the sensitivity implicit in the SHCP's own calculations, as reported by El Financiero.

The short-term picture does not point to a confirmed deficit. The accumulated average of the Mix through mid-June 2026 reached $81.94 per barrel, 6% above the Finance Ministry's benchmark, according to El Financiero. The first-half surplus acts as a cushion against the recent correction. That said, if the annual average price were to close at current levels, the $4.25 differential would represent a potential gap of more than 40,800 million pesos in federal oil revenues. A partial offsetting factor: lower crude prices reduce pressure on fuel subsidies operated through the Special Tax on Production and Services (IEPS), which according to Bloomberg Línea were costing approximately 5,000 million pesos per week during the period of elevated prices.

The variable to watch in the second half is the annual average of the Mix. If it fails to recover above the $77.30 threshold, the first-half cushion will erode and the budget gap will widen. The next official signal will come with the 2027 Economic Package.

This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence from verified sources and reviewed by a human editor prior to publication.