USD/MXN Falls Below 18.00 on Rising Fed Rate-Cut Expectations

USD/MXN has continued to fall after breaking below the $18.076, declining 0.12% as of the time of writing. A mix of macroeconomic factors and geopolitical tensions is influencing the US dollar and the Mexican peso.

This article examines the factors influencing the USD/MXN exchange rate and provides a technical outlook for the currency pair, highlighting key support and resistance levels.

The Fundamental Factors Shaping the USD/MXN:

• The political threat to the Fed’s independence continues weighing on the US Dollar.
• Turning the Fed into a political tool undermines its ability to fight inflation, which weakens confidence in the US dollar over time.
• John Williams, the New York Fed President, signaled that the US monetary policy remains unchanged, reinforcing expectations of steady interest rates in the near term.
• Moreover, Willians expects inflation to peak at 2.75%-3.0% in the first half of the year before gradually easing. With that, the expectations are shaping for future rate cuts or policy adjustments.
• On the other hand, the Bank of Mexico has eased its monetary policy in late December 2025. This reduced the yield advantage that supported the peso after its strong 2025 rally, making the currency more vulnerable when the Us dollar strengthened.
• At the same time, remittances and other income inflows that usually provide a steady supply of dollars slowed in 2025. This weakened an important support for the currency and increased pressure when global conditions turned negative.
• The uncertainty on Trump’s threats to Mexico regarding the drug cartels is weighing on the USD/MXN pair. However, the Mexican President, Claudia Sheinbaum, said that she ruled out a U.S. military intervention to combat drug cartels. This follows a “good conversation” on Monday with President Donald Trump on security and drug trafficking.
• Sheinbaum signaled that Mexico is ready to assist in communication between Cuba and the United States.
• Ongoing geopolitical tensions such as US–Russia, US–Venezuela, US–China, Ukraine–Russia, and Middle East conflicts can influence USD/MXN and other USD-related currencies.

The Technical Outlook for the USD/MXN:

The USD/MXN pair remains under bearish pressure, extending its decline. It broke below the key 18.00 psychological level. Price action shows a series of lower highs and lower lows. This confirms a short-term downtrend. Sellers are firmly defending the former support zone of 18.07 and 18.13, currently acting as resistance.

The pair is currently hovering around the 17.86 area, where it is trying to consolidate. But the downside risks persist as momentum remains weak.

A sustained break below the 17.86-17.80 could open the way for further losses, while a rebound is likely to face selling pressure near the 18.00 handle. The MACD remains in negative territory with the signal line below zero, indicating bearish momentum and suggesting that selling pressure is still dominant.

The RSI is trending lower and sits below the neutral 50 level, reflecting weak momentum and reinforcing the bearish bias, though it is not yet deeply oversold.