Doing Business in Mexico
When it comes to doing business in Mexico, understanding the country’s unique time zone structure is essential for seamless operations, especially with recent reforms aimed at optimizing Mexico’s alignment with international markets. Mexico’s time zones, spanning four different regions, have undergone adjustments that impact everything from corporate schedules to supply chain coordination. These reforms reflect Mexico’s proactive approach to enhancing trade, tourism, and productivity by aligning time zones more closely with key trading partners like the United States. In this post, we’ll explore the details of Mexico's time zone reforms, how they affect business operations, and what companies need to consider to stay competitive and responsive in Mexico’s evolving business landscape.
The Time Zone System in Mexico
Mexico is divided into four main time zones, which vary according to the geographical location of the state. Each zone is aligned with international time zones based on their relation to the Greenwich Meridian.
The time zones in Mexico are:
Northwest Time (UTC-8)
Northwest Time applies to Baja California North. This zone shares the same time zone as Los Angeles, facilitating communications and business with the western United States. This is a critical time zone for executives working with technology or manufacturing companies on the border.
Pacific Time (UTC-7)
This time zone covers the states of Baja California Sur, Sonora, Sinaloa and Nayarit. Historically, the Mexican state of Sonora as well as the bordering U.S. state of Arizona have not followed daylight savings time.
Central Time (UTC-6)
Central Time is the most extensive time zone in Mexico and covers most of the country. States under this zone include Nuevo León, Jalisco, Yucatán, among others. Mexico City, the country's main financial and commercial center, operates under this time zone too, making it the most relevant for most international executives.
Southeast Time (UTC-5)
This zone encompasses only the state of Quintana Roo, renowned for tourist hotspots like Cancun and Playa del Carmen. While the region is heavily tourism-centric, it also plays a vital role in the service sector and businesses linked to tourism and international trade.
Read the Border Boom blog for additional insights.
Recent Changes in the Time Zone System
In 2022, Mexico introduced major reforms to its time zone system. A key change was the elimination of daylight saving time across most of the country, a decision driven by concerns over its effects on sleep patterns and economic activities. Nonetheless, the northern border continues to observe a unique seasonal time tailored to the region's commercial needs.
Seasonal Standard Time
Daylight saving time, or Seasonal Standard Time, continues to be applied in some northern border zones, aligning with the United States' daylight saving time to facilitate cross-border trade. This measure ensures that business operations can better synchronize with their U.S. counterparts but requires special attention when planning meetings.
Seasonal standard time on the northern border will take effect from 2 AM on the second Sunday of March and end at 2 AM on the first Sunday of November.
Only in the northern border of the national territory will seasonal standard time be applied according to the following rules:
- For the municipalities of Acuña, Allende, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jiménez, Morelos, Nava, Ocampo, Piedras Negras, Villa Unión, and Zaragoza in the state of Coahuila de Zaragoza; Anáhuac in the state of Nuevo León; Nuevo Laredo, Guerrero, Mier, Miguel Alemán, Camargo, Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, Reynosa, Río Bravo, Valle Hermoso, and Matamoros in the state of Tamaulipas (shown below in dark purple stripe)
- For the state of Baja California, as well as for the municipalities of Janos, Ascensión, Juárez, Praxedis G. Guerrero, and Guadalupe in the state of Chihuahua, according to their respective border areas.
Note - according to Fraction 2 of Article 5 of the The Law of Time Zones of the United Mexican States, the municipalities of Coyame del Sotol, Ojinaga y Manuel Benavides, along the Chihuahua border, the meridian 90° east of Greenwich is applied (or Central Standard Time). Some communities, instead, apply daylight savings time to better align communities and binational trade.
Comparison with United States Time Zones
Mexico's time zones are closely aligned with those of the United States. For instance, Central Time in Mexico parallels the time zones of Texas, Illinois, and much of the Midwest, while Pacific Time matches that of California and Nevada. During the summer months, border states adopting daylight saving time align perfectly with their U.S. counterparts, facilitating seamless collaboration and communication during that period. However, outside of daylight saving time, a one-hour difference may arise between Mexico's border states and the U.S., potentially complicating the scheduling of meetings and calls.
Key Takeaways:
- There are 4 main time zones throughout Mexico, with the majority of the states not observing Daylight Savings Time.
- In 2022, Mexico introduced major reforms to its time zone system, eliminating daylight savings time across most of the country
- Along the US-Mexico border, some municipalities adhere to seasonal changes in order to minimize disruption and better align binational communities and trade
- From November through March, Mexico and the United States are fully aligned in time zones
Additional Resources
For updated information on time zones in Mexico, we recommend consulting the official website of the Mexican government.