EXPLAINER: US energy sector dispute with Mexico

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The U.S. government has forced Mexico into negotiations over what Washington considers unfair practices that effectively exclude U.S. and other foreign companies from the Mexican energy sector in violation of the free trade agreement they signed with Canada. The energy sector is a point of national pride for Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who frequently speaks fondly of large state-owned entities. López Obrador’s attempt to enshrine some of his energy sector goals in the constitution failed earlier this year, but Mexico’s congress made important changes to laws regulating the sector last year that remain in place. The U.S. has repeatedly made its concerns known to the Mexican government since last year.