Mexico is a big country (seven times the size of New Zealand) and has diverse industry clusters. Therefore, it is important that you conduct market research on the area you plan to locate your facilities to ensure availability of the supplies you need. There are plenty of supply chain options, from multi-national corporations to quality local businesses.
Product or service clusters within Mexico include:
- Ciudad Juarez - 20 percent of all maquiladoras are located here. Key industries are automotive, consumer electronics and light manufacturing, for example textiles.
- Chihuahua - located three hours south of the US border, it has a more stable workforce. Recent sectors under expansion are consumer electronics, aerospace, auto parts and communications equipment.
- Guadalajar - the second largest city in Mexico. It is the favoured manufacturing spot for computer and telecommunications hardware companies.
- Nuevo Laredo - another US border city with clusters in the automotive, consumer, electronics and medical devices sectors.
- Mexicali - relatively quiet and with good engineering education available. Recent growth in aerospace, medical devices and electronics. Other traditional industries are automotive and microelectronics.
- Monterrey - third largest city in Mexico and home to Mexico’s most prestigious university and receives high research and development investments. Key sectors: automotive, computer equipment, home appliances, IT, machinery and pharmaceuticals.
- Queretaro - a two-hour drive from Mexico City and is experiencing fast growth in aerospace manufacturing and design. Key sectors are: aerospace, automotive and home appliances.
- Reynosa - home to Fisher & Paykel Appliances. Main clusters include consumer electronics, home appliances and telecommunications equipment.
- Tijuana - home to Fisher & Paykel Healthcare. A centre for consumer electronics’ exports. Maquiladoras operate efficiently, but many still focus on assembly work. Key industries are: aerospace, automotive, consumer electronics, medical devices and microelectronics.
General information on finding the right location.
