Mexico is making an aggressive bid for global production just as political headwinds threaten to reshape the international content landscape.

Oscar-nominated actor and producer Salma Hayek Pinault joined Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo this week to announce a sweeping new 30 percent tax incentive designed to bolster the country’s film and television sector and attract international shoots. The move positions Mexico as one of the more competitive territories in the region at a moment when cross-border production has become increasingly politicized.

The new program applies to live-action and animated features and television series that spend a minimum of 40 million pesos (approximately $2.3 million) in Mexico, as well as documentary features and series with a 20 million peso ($1.2 million) threshold. Animation, visual effects and post-production projects qualify with a minimum local spend of 5 million pesos (about $290,000).

The incentive will be accessible to Mexican individuals and companies, foreign entities with a permanent establishment in Mexico and foreign producers working through a Mexican resident individual or legal entity.

The announcement comes as former President Donald Trump has renewed threats to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on films produced outside the United States, arguing that foreign tax incentives have siphoned work away from Hollywood. While details of such tariffs remain unclear — particularly given the intangible nature of filmed entertainment — the rhetoric has injected uncertainty into global production planning.

Against that backdrop, Mexico is signaling the opposite approach: expanding incentives and doubling down on infrastructure.

President Sheinbaum framed the program as both economic strategy and cultural investment. The goal, she said, is to match the “extraordinary creativity” of Mexican storytellers and strengthen the country’s cultural sovereignty through cinema.

Hayek, who has long championed Mexican filmmaking on the international stage, emphasized the nation’s production advantages, pointing to its ecological diversity and cinematic range. “There is no country in the world with such ecological diversity and beauty — here we have it all,” she said during the briefing.

Mexico’s combination of varied landscapes, competitive labor costs and now a 30 percent incentive could prove attractive to both domestic producers and international studios recalibrating their global footprints. The policy also aligns with broader efforts across Latin America and Europe to fortify local industries through structured rebates and investment commitments.

As governments debate protectionism versus incentives, Mexico is making its position clear: in a tightening global market for production dollars, it intends to compete.