Mexico seeks new business partners away from the U.S.

Mexico is about to take another step to pivot its economy away from the U.S. and President Trump. Mexican officials kick off talks with their counterparts in the European Union on Monday to update their own free trade agreement initially signed in 2000.

Both sides had expressed a desire for a new agreement for years, but only announced "accelerated" trade talks shortly after Trump took office.

"It's a shared desire to proceed as quickly as possible with this negotiation," Andrew Standley, the European Union's ambassador to Mexico, told in February in Mexico City.

That's not all. Mexican officials head to Argentina later this week for the World Economic Forum's Latin America summit where they will likely reiterate their interest in buying more goods - particularly corn and soy - from Brazil and Argentina instead of the United States.

Last week, Mexico's deputy economic minister, Juan Carlos Baker, told the Financial Times that Mexico is already in talks with the two South American giants to strengthen trade ties.

Mexico is not feeling so welcome in North America. Trump has threatened to use tariffs against Mexican imports and to withdraw from NAFTA, the trilateral free trade agreement that also includes Canada. (However, the Trump administration recently signaled it may not seek a wholesale rewrite).

Mexico is one of the biggest buyers of American corn and soy. Corn is a staple food to the Mexican diet, found in everywhere from taco stands to fine dining restaurants.