At a time of trade reconfiguration, tariff pressures , and the review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) , Mexican industry has taken a firm stance: competition is welcome, but with clear rules. This was stated by Alejandro Malagón Barragán, president of the Confederation of Industrial Chambers (Concamin) , who warned that investment requires legal certainty and the rule of law to sustain productive growth.
Mexican industry generates 53% of formal employment , contributes 42% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and accounts for 90% of the country’s exports. Given this structural weight, the sector made it clear that it is not asking for privileges, but rather for the right conditions to compete in a global environment marked by trade tensions, tariff pressures, and the reconfiguration of production chains.
“Our industry is not asking for privileges, it is demanding conditions to compete, grow and prosper,” Malagón said.
The statement was made during the organization’s 108th Ordinary General Assembly , where Malagón began his last year at the head of the confederation and reiterated that investment requires the rule of law and legal certainty in a fragmented international scenario.
Business review and geopolitical environment
The review of the USMCA, scheduled for next July, was also part of the discussion. During his remarks, Senator Waldo Fernández González highlighted the level of economic integration between Mexico and the United States .
He acknowledged that there are outstanding issues, such as steel and aluminum, and maintained that the process will be handled responsibly. For the industrial sector, the review is not a political matter, but a strategic decision that could redefine competitive conditions.
For his part, Vidal Llerenas Morales, Undersecretary of Industry and Commerce of the Ministry of Economy (SE) , stressed that the country’s economic strength lies in its highly specialized manufacturing capacity.
He explained that the Mexico Plan includes a horizontal industrial policy, focused on stability, credit and education, and also a territorial one, through Economic Development Poles for Well-being that promote production chains in regions with less integration.
Alejandro Malagón insisted that consolidating implies scaling up what has been built: strengthening production chains, promoting national content and more strongly promoting the “Made in Mexico” label.
The industry leader also noted that growth must be sustainable and inclusive.
From the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (STPS) , Quiahuitl Chávez indicated that the discussion on reducing the work week to 40 hours has taken place in dialogue with the productive sector, emphasizing that productivity and social justice must advance together .
For her part, Alicia Bárcena Ibarra, head of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) , noted that industry generates 25% of greenhouse gas emissions and called for progress on decarbonization and an emissions trading system. She also highlighted the unanimous approval of the General Law on Circular Economy.
With the review of the trilateral trade agreement on the horizon and a volatile international environment, Mexican industry reaffirmed its priority of maintaining competitiveness under clear rules and with an actionable industrial policy. The event provided the setting; the message was strategic.
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