Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Thursday that problems with a higher-than-usual content of salt in the crude oil that state energy company Pemex pumps and exports have been resolved.

 

Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum waves as she attends a press conference after holding a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump, at the National Palace in Mexico City, Mexico March 6, 2025.

Mexico is an important supplier to U.S. refineries and in mid-February, Sheinbaum and Pemex Chief Executive Officer Victor Rodriguez conceded that some platforms had produced crude oil with higher salt and water contents.

"The problem of salt in crude has been solved," Sheinbaum said during her regular morning press conference, adding that the new Olmeca refinery in the port of Dos Bocas was also making progress.

Pemex has been in talks with potential buyers in Asia, including China, and Europe, as it seeks out alternative markets that may not face tariffs.

Mexico is a major producer but output from the country's older oil fields, mostly in the Gulf of Mexico, has slumped in recent years.