US-MEXICO NEWS
THIRD USMCA ROUND
• President Claudia Sheinbaum met with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer at the National Palace during the third bilateral round of the USMCA Joint Review.
• Both governments reported progress on negotiations covering economic security, labor, agriculture, automobiles, steel and aluminum, electronic payment services, and regional supply chains.
• The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening North American manufacturing, addressing free-riding by non-member countries, and agreed to hold a fourth negotiation round in Washington, D.C., in September.
• The meeting also coincided with the USTR’s announcement of new Section 301 tariffs on imports from 60 economies over concerns related to forced labor enforcement.
• Mexico was included with a 10% tariff; however, the government clarified that the measure does not represent a new trade restriction, as it simply replaces the previous Section 122 tariff, while at least 80% of Mexican exports that comply with USMCA rules of origin remain exempt from tariffs.
• The latest developments suggest that both governments are seeking to keep broader trade negotiations on track despite the introduction of new U.S. trade enforcement measures.
SOURCE: SECRETARÍA DE ECONOMÍA, EL UNIVERSAL, MILENIO
MEXICO AND U.S. SECURITY COORDINATION
• Mexico and the United States announced coordinated actions to dismantle the financial structure of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
• The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on more than 50 individuals and entities linked to the organization, targeting its leadership, drug trafficking cells, financiers, and money laundering networks.
• Simultaneously, Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) reported that its financial investigations helped identify suspicious cash transactions, luxury asset purchases, international transfers, virtual asset operations, and shell companies connected to the cartel.
• Based on these findings, the UIF filed a criminal complaint with the Attorney General’s Office and froze the assets of those involved by adding them to Mexico’s blocked persons list.
• The coordinated action reflects growing bilateral cooperation to disrupt organized crime through financial enforcement rather than solely through security operations.
SOURCES: SECRETARÍA DE HACIENDA, U.S. TREASURY
US-MEXICO NEWS
SHEINBAUM AND TRUMP HOLD MEETING DURING WORLD CUP
• President Claudia Sheinbaum attended the 2026 FIFA World Cup final alongside U.S. President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, underscoring the trilateral partnership among the tournament’s host countries. Sheinbaum described her attendance as an important diplomatic engagement and said the leaders briefly discussed bilateral trade issues on the sidelines of the event.
• The leaders were joined by senior FIFA officials and other international dignitaries, including Spain’s King Felipe VI and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
• The encounter marked only the second known face-to-face meeting between Sheinbaum and Trump since both assumed office. Although no substantive announcements emerged from the brief conversation, the meeting signals both governments’ willingness to maintain high-level political dialogue as negotiations over trade and other bilateral issues continue.
SOURCE: EXCELSIOR, MILENIO
LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES FOR SEPTEMBER SESSION
• Ricardo Monreal, president of the Political Coordination Committee (Jucopo), announced that the Chamber of Deputies will prioritize five major legislative initiatives when the next ordinary session begins on September 1.
• Morena’s agenda includes proposals to regulate artificial intelligence, reform the legal framework on feminicide, enact implementing legislation for Indigenous and Afro-Mexican rights, modify regulations governing major medical insurance, and establish a national animal welfare law.
• According to congressional leaders, the majority caucus will seek cross-party support to advance these initiatives through the legislative process.
• The agenda signals the federal government’s intention to continue expanding its regulatory framework across emerging technologies, social policy, healthcare, and constitutional reforms.
SOURCES: EL IMPARCIAL
LEGISLATIVE CHANGES AND INITIATIVES
LABOR
• INITIATIVE AMENDING ARTICLE 170 OF THE FEDERAL LABOR LAW ON GESTATIONAL BEREAVEMENT LEAVE FOR MOTHERS, FATHERS, AND FAMILY BEREAVEMENT PROTECTIONS
Presented by: Chamber of Deputies – Deputy Karina Isabel Martínez Montaño (MORENA)
Objective: Establishes paid leave for pregnant employees and co-parents following pregnancy loss or stillbirth. It grants two or four weeks of leave depending on gestational stage, while guaranteeing job stability and prohibiting discrimination or dismissal resulting from gestational loss or fetal death in the workplace.
Status:Published in the Parliamentary Gazette –July 22, 2026.
• INITIATIVE AMENDING VARIOUS PROVISIONS OF THE FEDERAL LABOR LAW ON THE PREVENTION, RESPONSE, INVESTIGATION, AND SANCTION OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND WORKPLACE HARASSMENT
Presented by: Chamber of Deputies – Deputy María Teresa Ealy Díaz (MORENA)
Objective: Requires workplaces with more than ten employees to implement sexual harassment prevention protocols and establish internal committees. It mandates confidential, impartial, gender-sensitive investigation procedures, requiring complaints to be resolved within sixty business days, extendable once, strengthening workplace protections against sexual harassment and abusive conduct.
Status:Published in the Parliamentary Gazette –July 22, 2026
NEWS BY STATE BAJA CALIFORNIA
At the 2026 Farnborough International Airshow, Baja California reinforced its position as one of Mexico’s leading aerospace hubs, opening its own pavilion led by the Secretariat of Economy and Innovation (SEI) and ProBaja Trade & Investment, with delegates from Tijuana, Mexicali, and Ensenada holding strategic meetings with Honeywell Aerospace and international companies, including Canadian firms, to advance investment, advanced manufacturing, talent development, and supply chain integration. Adding to the momentum, Airbus forecast global demand for 42,060 new passenger aircraft, including 33,920 narrowbody jets, and a global active fleet of 45,550 by 2045, driven by 3.9% annual growth in air traffic; according to Tijuana EDC, this surge in aircraft manufacturing is expanding opportunities for specialized component suppliers in the Tijuana-Mexicali corridor, particularly Tier 2 suppliers serving international OEMs. Tijuana EDC noted the region offers significant manufacturing capacity backed by advanced processes, an established supply chain, and a skilled aerospace workforce, and said it will keep connecting local
companies to OEM global supply chains to strengthen the CaliBaja corridor’s competitiveness and attract high-value foreign investment.
SOURCES: MINISTRY OF ECONOMY AND INNOVATION , PROBAJA TRADE & INVESMENT, MEXICONOW
NEWS BY STATE
SONORA
Governor Alfonso Durazo Montaño is pushing a strategy to position Sonora as a national leader in the aerospace industry through the creation of an aerospace cluster. As part of this effort, representatives from the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, the business sector, academic institutions, and economic development organizations held a first-of-its-kind meeting, including General Disraelí Gómez Herrera, director of FAMEX, and Francisco Acuña, executive president of CODESO. The meeting set the groundwork for a joint agenda focused on long-term projects, innovation, supplier development, specialized talent training, and investment attraction, while also reviewing plans for the next edition of FAMEX and next steps for building the cluster. Durazo said his administration will continue promoting high-tech industries to diversify the state’s economy, attract investment, and generate specialized jobs.
SOURCE: INFO SON
NEWS BY STATE CHIHUAHUA
Chihuahua Governor María Eugenia Campos Galván met with Regal Rexnord executives at the 2026 Farnborough Airshow to reaffirm the company’s partnership with the state and support growth of its aerospace operations. The meeting included Kevin Long, Executive Vice President and President of the Automation & Motion Control segment; Weldon Abbott, President of Aerospace Solutions; and Allison Maginot, Vice President of Trade Compliance, Government Affairs and Sustainability, and covered the incentives, legal advisory, and support the state government has provided to ensure operation of the company’s two plants at Parque Industrial BAFAR in the city of Chihuahua. Since starting operations in 2024, Regal Rexnord has invested $13.8 million in the state through its Aerospace and Industrial Power divisions, generating close to 200 high-value jobs.
SOURCE: EL ECONOMISTA
NEWS BY STATE
NUEVO
LEON
Nuevo León ranks first nationally in both IMMEX establishment creation and total IMMEX employment for the January-May 2026 period. The state added five new IMMEX establishments during this span, half of the 10 registered nationwide, bringing its total to 740 establishments. Nuevo León also recorded 400,998 IMMEX workers as of the end of May, the highest figure in the country, with 6,461 new direct IMMEX jobs created between January and May, out of 13,001 created nationally. State Economy Secretary Betsabé Rocha Nieto said the results reflect continued confidence from domestic and international companies in the state’s investment conditions, noting that IMMEX growth strengthens global supply chains and reinforces Nuevo León’s leadership in advanced manufacturing, automotive, appliances, steel, logistics, and high-value technology sectors.
SOURCE, GOVERNMENT OF NUEVO LEON
NEWS BY STATE
GUANAJUATO
Amid the USMCA Joint Review process, COFOCE and Guanajuato’s Ministry of Economy held the forum “T-MEC: Panorama y Perspectivas 2026” in Silao, gathering about 120 representatives from companies, chambers, and clusters to discuss the review’s potential impact on their operations and supply chains. COFOCE director Luis Antonio Vargas Zavala said the state will act proactively rather than wait for the review’s outcome, strengthening its trade intelligence, training, and coordination with industry, particularly the automotive sector. The keynote was delivered by Guillermo Malpica Soto, former USMCA chief negotiator, who addressed scenarios involving rules of origin, autos, steel and aluminum, and regional supply chains. INDEX Guanajuato announced a webinar with its Washington office and monthly working sessions with COFOCE and industry groups to track developments.
SOURCE: CLUSTER INDUSTRIAL
NEWS BY STATE
QUERETARO
At the Farnborough Airshow, Marco Antonio Del Prete Tercero, head of Querétaro’s Ministry of Sustainable Development (SEDESU), met with the Washington State Department of Commerce to explore economic cooperation and bilateral investment opportunities. The meeting covered talent and innovation development, international trade, and academia-industry ties, and raised the possibility of joint trade missions given shared strengths in aerospace, advanced technology, and manufacturing. Washington State was represented by interim director Sarah Clifthorne and chief of staff Nicole Lutomski, while SEDESU was represented by industrial development director Alejandro Rolland Ruiz and business development director Arturo Guerrero Gómez.
SOURCE: CLUSTER INDUSTRIAL
NEWS BY STATE
MEXICO CITY
• Mexico City continues to strengthen its position as one of the country’s leading infrastructure and industrial development hubs, driven by sustained investment in logistics, advanced manufacturing, renewable energy, and digital infrastructure.
• According to Turner & Townsend’s Global Construction Market Intelligence 2026, the capital has the second-highest construction costs in Latin America, averaging USD 2,198 per square meter, reflecting strong demand for industrial and technology-related projects.
• The report highlights that growth in data centers, cloud infrastructure, and AI-related investments is increasing construction activity across the metropolitan area, while nearshoring continues to support industrial expansion.
• Although labor shortages remain a challenge, particularly for specialized construction workers, Mexico City is expected to remain a key destination for infrastructure investment, supported by competitive cost growth and rising demand for facilities serving high-value manufacturing and digital industries.
SOURCE: GRUPO EN CONCRETO
NEWS BY STATE STATE OF MEXICO
• Kinedyne expanded its manufacturing footprint in Mexico by investing MXN 25 million in a new industrial complex in Naucalpan, State of Mexico, designed to increase production, warehousing, and distribution capacity for cargo securement systems and logistics solutions.
• The 6,000-square-meter facility—twice the size of the company’s previous site—integrates manufacturing, storage, and administrative operations to
improve efficiency and shorten delivery times across Mexico and Latin America.
• Backed by Heico Corporation and Kinedyne North America, the investment reflects growing demand for advanced logistics and transportation equipment driven by expanding manufacturing activity, trade, and regional supply chains. The company will continue operating its Monterrey plant while using the new complex to strengthen production capabilities and support the evolving needs of North America’s industrial and logistics sectors.
SOURCE: MEXICO INDUSTRY
INVESTMENT NEWS
Northern Mexico
ATI
ATI, the U.S.-based producer of specialty materials and advanced forged components, announced an US$80 million investment to establish and operate ATI Forged Products in the city of Chihuahua. The new facility will focus on high-precision forging and advanced alloys to supply the international aerospace market and will create more than 230 highly specialized jobs for technicians and engineers. The announcement was led by ATI President and CEO Kimberly Fields alongside Chihuahua Governor Maru Campos at the Mexico pavilion of the Farnborough International Airshow 2026. With this project, Chihuahua consolidates its position as one of Mexico’s leading aerospace clusters, hosting five of the eight aerospace OEMs established in the country.
GKN AEROSPACE
GKN Aerospace, the UK-based aerospace and defense technology provider, brought a new manufacturing building into operation at its Chihuahua site, expanding on a growth project first announced in July 2024. The investment amount was not disclosed. The expansion adds Electrical Wiring Interconnection Systems (EWIS) production capacity alongside the site’s existing composite and metallic aerostructures manufacturing, and is tied to more than 200 specialized jobs in engineering, specialized processes, and production created as part of the 2024 growth project. Enrique Alatorre, Senior Vice President of EWIS at GKN Aerospace, said the new building positions the company to offer integrated solutions directly to its North American customers, citing confidence in Chihuahua’s workforce and infrastructure. The added
capacity will support delivery timelines for the company’s core Tier 1 business and long-term manufacturing partnerships with Gulfstream, Airbus, and Honda Aircraft. Chihuahua Governor Maru Campos said the continued growth reaffirms the state’s position as a strategic partner for the global aerospace industry. GKN Aerospace operates in 12 countries with more than 30 manufacturing and technology facilities, employs about 16,000 people, and reports global sales of £3.6 billion; the company is part of Melrose Industries PLC and is not involved in the separate GKN Automotive (Dowlais Group) acquisition by American Axle & Manufacturing.
ALA CORPORATION
The Italian company ALA Corporation, with more than 35 years of international experience in the aerospace industry, began operations in the city of Chihuahua
INVESTMENT NEWS
with its first office in Mexico. The investment amount was not disclosed. The announcement was confirmed during the Farnborough International Airshow 2026 in London, in a meeting between Chihuahua Governor Maru Campos and company representatives. The new office will create opportunities for specialized roles in logistics, engineering, strategic procurement, quality, and inventory management, though specific job numbers were not provided. Governor Campos said
her vision is for Chihuahua to become ALA’s growth platform for North America, eventually incorporating higher-value engineering, design, and manufacturing capabilities. During the same trip, Campos also met with Philippe Errera, Executive Vice President of International Development and Government Relations at Safran, to follow up on that company’s expansion plans in Chihuahua, where Safran is the state capital’s largest aerospace employer with 9,000 employees across 13 plants and remains its main hub outside France for aircraft wiring, safety and evacuation systems, and cabin lighting.
THYSSENKRUPP —
The German company thyssenkrupp Materials Services announced the acquisition of a majority stake in Aceroteca Trading, S.A.P.I. de C.V., a flat rolled carbon steel service and processing center located in Santa Catarina, Nuevo León. The investment amount was not disclosed. The deal strengthens thyssenkrupp’s integrated presence in North America and responds to the growing nearshoring trend and supply chain localization among its clients. Aceroteca currently serves the heating, air conditioning, and power transmission sectors, and the acquired plant will expand local processing capacity, shorten delivery times, and open capacity for new clients and projects. Héctor Morales, founder and CEO of Aceroteca, will remain at the helm of the company and retain a minority stake, while Heather Wijdekop, CEO of the Processing business unit at thyssenkrupp Materials Services, called the move a strategic step that reinforces the company’s Coil Processing Group in the region. With this operation, Nuevo León consolidates its position as one of Mexico’s leading destinations for manufacturing investment.
INVESTMENT NEWS
ECOCAB
The South Korean company EcoCab, a manufacturer of automotive cables, wiring harnesses, LED modules, and other electrical and electronic components for the auto industry, announced a 540 million peso investment to build its third plant in Durango. The project will create 200 direct jobs, with hiring scheduled between August and November, and operations are set to begin in January 2027. The new plant strengthens manufacturing activity in the state and supports the industrial growth of the La Laguna region, reinforcing its position as a destination for industrial development and its role in North America’s automotive supply chains.
Central México
OPELLA
Opella, the consumer-healthcare company spun off from France’s Sanofi, inaugurated a new Enterogermina probiotics production line at its plant in Ocoyoacac, State of Mexico. The company announced an investment of 2,300 million pesos in the country, of which 1,200 million pesos went to the new operation, with a projected capacity of up to 200 million mini-bottles per year. The new production line will provide 50 direct jobs and 400–450 indirect jobs. With this expansion, the Ocoyoacac site becomes the second-most-important plant in Opella’s global network of 13 production facilities, raising the share of locally made products sold in Mexico and positioning the state as a regional export hub for Latin America.
FERRERO
Ferrero, the Italy-based global confectionery group, announced a US$86 million investment to expand its plant in San José Iturbide, Guanajuato, where it manufactures Nutella and its Kinder line for Mexico, the United States, Canada and Central America. The project targets industrial, electrical and logistics infrastructure to raise the plant’s operating capacity, strengthening Nutella production and adding a new high-voltage electrical substation. The investment will lift the share of the plant’s output destined for export from around 40% to a range of 55%–60%, consolidating the complex as one of the group’s ten most important sites worldwide and supporting Ferrero’s goal of doubling its Mexican business over the coming years.
INVESTMENT NEWS
KINEDYNE
Kinedyne announced an investment of approximately 25 million pesos to open a new industrial complex in Naucalpan, State of Mexico, expanding its manufacturing, storage, and distribution capacity to serve the growing transportation and logistics industry. The new facility spans 6,000 square meters, double its previous space, consolidating production, warehouse, and administrative offices under one roof to increase operational efficiency and strengthen service to clients in Mexico and Latin America. The expansion was backed by Heico Corporation and Kinedyne North America as part of the company’s regional growth strategy. Roberto Salido, general manager of Sistemas Kinedyne de México, said the move strengthens the company’s capacity to manufacture large-scale cargo securement solutions and curtainside systems while reinforcing its commitment to customers, business partners, and transportation safety. Kinedyne will keep its Monterrey, Nuevo León plant operating alongside the new complex to strengthen regional coverage and respond more quickly to demand from the transportation industry.
TENNECO
Tenneco, the U.S.-based automotive supplier with operations in Aguascalientes, opened a new production line and is advancing the next phase of its expansion plan in the state, following a meeting between company executives and state authorities. The investment amount was not disclosed. The new line will increase manufacturing capacity and create opportunities for job creation, workforce training, and greater integration of local suppliers into the global supply chain, though specific figures were not provided. Esaú Garza de Vega, Secretary of Economic
Development, Science and Technology, said the expansion signals confidence in the state’s investment conditions and business environment, and that the government’s focus is on supporting talent development, supplier growth, and efficient processes for new investments. With operations in 28 countries, 169 manufacturing plants, and about 58,000 employees worldwide, Tenneco develops technologies for emissions control, powertrain, suspension, and aftermarket products; the expansion reinforces Aguascalientes’ position as one of Mexico’s most specialized industrial regions and strengthens local content within North America’s automotive supply chain.
MAGNA INTERNATIONAL —
Magna International, one of the world’s largest automotive suppliers, is preparing a new investment project in Aguascalientes aimed at strengthening the state’s automotive industry and supply chain integration. The investment amount and job figures were not disclosed. The announcement followed a meeting be-
INVESTMENT NEWS
tween company executives, Governor Tere Jiménez, and officials from the Secretariat of Economic Development, Science and Technology (SEDECYT). Esaú Garza de Vega, head of SEDECYT, said Magna’s arrival represents an opportunity to consolidate growth in the state’s automotive ecosystem and that the agency will provide support throughout the project’s development. Magna operates in 28 countries with more than 300 manufacturing facilities across the Americas, Europe, and Asia, supplying components, systems, and technologies including body and chassis systems, seating, powertrain, electronics, vision systems, and EV and driver-assistance technologies to major global automakers. The project reinforces Aguascalientes’ appeal for new investment, backed by its geographic location, logistics infrastructure, industrial parks, and specialized talent, and strengthens its role in North America’s automotive value chain.
HUATAI MOULD —
The Chinese company Huatai Mould announced an investment of more than 520 million pesos to build its first plant in Mexico and the Americas, located in the La Aurora industrial park, San Francisco de los Romo, Aguascalientes. The project will create 250 jobs and is expected to begin operations by late 2026. The plant will specialize in the design and manufacturing of high- and low-pressure die-casting molds, aluminum and zinc components for the automotive industry, along with tooling, precision machining, and assembly processes, strengthening the automotive supply chain in Mexico and North America. The announcement was made before Aguascalientes Governor Tere Jiménez, who highlighted the project as a boost for high-tech manufacturing and the state’s positioning as a destination for industrial investment. Lingsong Zhang, Sales Director at Shenyang Huatai, said the plant is part of the company’s international expansion strategy to strengthen its presence in North America and meet growing regional demand from the automotive industry. Huatai Mould currently operates six production plants in China with a commercial presence in Europe, North America, and Asia.
INVESTMENT NEWS
National
PILGRIM’S
PRIDE
Pilgrim’s, the U.S.-based poultry and prepared-foods producer controlled by Brazil’s JBS, announced a US$1,300 million investment plan in Mexico for 2026–2030 at President Claudia Sheinbaum’s morning press conference. The investment will increase production by more than 373,000 tonnes through expansion of the hatchery and feed plant, construction of new grow-out farms and a new poultry-processing plant, relocation of producing farms and modernization of the incubation plant. The plan allocates US$200 million to Durango and Coahuila; US$150 million to Querétaro, San Luis Potosí and Hidalgo; and US$950 million to Veracruz, Campeche and Yucatán, and is expected to generate 20,000 jobs, reinforcing the country’s food self-sufficiency agenda.
SOURCES: CLUSTER INDUSTRIAL, MEXICO INDUSTRY, QUADRATIN, EXPANSION
WHAT’S NEW IN PRODENSA?
PRODENSA INSIGHTS
Mexico is the Smartest Place to Build your Export Service Team—Here’s Why
Mexico is becoming a strategic hub not only for manufacturing, but also for shared services, IT, R&D, engineering, and back-office operations. Its young, skilled workforce, proximity to the United States, and alignment with North American business hours create a strong environment for building service teams.
This article explores how companies can combine Mexican talent with EOR models and qualifying export incentives to launch teams faster, reduce operational complexity, and support binational collaboration without immediately establishing a local entity.
• Why Mexico’s talent market supports knowledge-based work
• How EOR and export incentives simplify market entry
• Which service, technology, and R&D functions can be nearshored
Why
Global Manufacturers Keep Choosing Mexico (And It’s Not the Cost)
In this editorial, María Elena Sierra, VP of Trade Compliance at Prodensa, reflects on why cost is no longer the main factor shaping global manufacturing decisions. Today, companies are prioritizing reliability, compliance, traceability, resilience, and long-term certainty.
The article explores how Mexico has built trust through decades of execution and highlights the role of talent—including the growing participation of women—in strengthening the country’s position as a competitive global manufacturing platform.
• Why trust has become a competitive advantage
• What continues to differentiate Mexico globally
• The role of talent in manufacturing’s future