The Mexican peso is among the top-performing currencies this year with a 12% surge against the U.S. dollar, after closing last year up about 5%. But the Mexican currency's recent strengthening to about 17 pesos per U.S. dollar, from 19.50 pesos per greenback last December, makes Mexican exports more expensive. In fact, Banco Base sees remittances loosing more than 10% of their spending power if the peso-to-dollar exchange rate holds steady. Mexico's peso is among the world's most liquid currencies since the country adopted a free-floating exchange rate in 1994. Bets for an even stronger peso on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange have grown since March.

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Persons: Guillermo Mateos, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Jonathan Zuloaga, Noe Torres, Valentine Hilaire, David Alire Garcia, Diane Craft Organizations: MEXICO CITY, U.S, U.S ., Banco Base, Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Columbus de Mexico