As China prepares to host APEC in 2026, a Mexican entrepreneur based in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen is working to strengthen trade ties between China and Latin America, helping businesses on both sides explore new opportunities amid deepening Asia-Pacific economic cooperation.
China will host APEC in 2026, and economies across the Asia-Pacific are advancing cooperation in trade, investment, innovation and connectivity. Mexico, an APEC member economy, has seen its economic and trade ties with China continue to expand.
Maria Fernanda Lopez Diaz de Leon, a Mexican entrepreneur known as Fernanda, has established herself in Shenzhen, where she runs TOCN, a cross-border e-commerce consultancy. Her company serves as an on-the-ground office in China for Latin American clients, helping businesses from Mexico and across the region overcome a common challenge: navigating the Chinese market and finding the right partners to get started.
Fernanda and her team help these firms source suppliers, conduct product inspections and liaise with manufacturers, paving their way into Asian markets.
Drawn by the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA)'s dynamic business environment, she chose to establish her company in the region. She now leads a six-member team in China, alongside two colleagues based in Mexico, as growing client demand stretches her team's capacity.
"It's actually a really great environment for entrepreneurship and for foreigners here in China. In terms of business, everything is full of opportunities. For example, every time we reach to the government, we reach out, they always provide us with different solutions. And, for example, also when it comes to incentives, economic incentives, they have been so great, helping us be able to reinvest our utility back into the company. So that has been helping us grow a lot," she said.
Fernanda's daily work involves practical, hands-on tasks. She coordinates client requirements, checks whether suppliers can meet delivery deadlines and tracks the arrival of product samples. For her, APEC cooperation takes shape through these everyday efforts, as businesses across borders build connections one step at a time.
"So we want to start not only helping businesses in Mexico and Latin America come to China, but we also want to start helping Chinese companies be able to navigate Latin America. So that is like the next big step for TOCN, and we're really excited about it. We're going to start trials next year and see how it goes," she said.
Mexican entrepreneur builds China-Latin America trade bridge amid APEC 2026
