SAN PEDRO GARZA GARCÍA, NL.– In an environment of trade tensions with the United States, economic slowdown and internal challenges, the Mexican logistics sector maintains opportunities to boost investments , strengthen businesses and contribute to the country’s growth.
Against this backdrop , ETYL MTY 2026 kicked off this Wednesday, October 14th , in Monterrey, organized by Grupo T21 . Osiel Cruz, the company’s CEO, stated that the Mexican logistics industry faces the challenge of strengthening its capabilities , generating synergies, and seizing new business opportunities to remain one of the country’s growth engines.
“In recent months we haven’t had any unexpected news; it seems that the talks with our neighbor and Canada are a good sign and we’re moving in a positive direction. And on the other hand, despite the tariffs, we had a record August for exports. We still need to do our homework internally. We can’t solve the security of our roads or the rule of law, but what we can do is control our identity, foster innovation and synergies, and interact with other stakeholders with whom we can join forces and boost our businesses,” he stated.
He indicated that despite the economic environment, the logistics industry maintains ample development potential in different regions of the country.
In this regard, the importance of identifying trends, learning about business experiences, and capitalizing on opportunities to expand operational and commercial capabilities was highlighted.
In this context, he highlighted the role of specialized information and knowledge exchange spaces , such as the meeting organized by T21 so that companies can identify trends and growth opportunities.
Ignacio Aguado, Director General of Innovation, Services and Domestic Trade at the Ministry of Economy , highlighted that, despite international trade uncertainty, Mexico maintains competitive advantages to attract investment; however, it must accelerate infrastructure development, technological adoption and job training .
He noted that the country maintains a privileged position in international trade, although he acknowledged that there are structural challenges that must be addressed to sustain its competitiveness.
“The economic, productive and industrial dynamics have grown more than our infrastructure,” he mentioned to businessmen, representatives of chambers, associations and authorities gathered in Nuevo León.
He explained that the logistics sector, which represents approximately 8% of the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) , is a priority activity for the Secretariat due to its contribution to competitiveness, productive integration and economic development.
He emphasized that, despite the tariff measures implemented by the United States, Mexico maintains favorable conditions compared to other trading partners of that country.
According to the figures presented by the official, Mexico has an average effective tariff of 2.9% , one of the lowest levels among the main US trading partners.
“That condition represents a great opportunity and a competitive advantage. That’s why people from all over the world are looking at us,” he said.
He also highlighted that Mexico has 14 free trade agreements that link it to more than 50 countries, which strengthens its ability to connect markets and integrate into global value chains.
In this context, he asserted that the review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is one of the federal government’s priorities, due to the level of productive integration achieved among the three countries that comprise it.
“We came to the USMCA this year very well prepared, thanks to the consultation sessions we had last year,” he said.
Infrastructure, technology and talent: the challenges towards 2030
One of the main challenges identified by the Ministry of Economy is the need to close the gap between the growth of industrial activity and the capacity of the available infrastructure to move goods. Adding to this challenge is technological transformation, particularly the incorporation of artificial intelligence, automation, and innovation in operational and administrative processes .
Ignacio Aguado emphasized that infrastructure and technology development must be accompanied by a job training and certification strategy. He added that by 2030, approximately 40% of current job skills will have changed, while 59% of workers will require training or retraining.
“That means that the talent we have today needs to prepare for what is happening right now, not for what will happen in the future,” he stressed.
In this regard, he stressed that staff training should be considered a strategic investment for companies, due to its impact on productivity and cost reduction.
According to the indicators presented, having trained and certified personnel can contribute to reducing errors by up to 35%, improving efficiency in time by 28% and reducing costs by 30%.
As part of the strategies to address these challenges, Aguado highlighted the role of the Mexico Plan , one of whose objectives is to increase national content in production processes, substitute imports, and strengthen the participation of Mexican companies within supply chains.
He also highlighted the relaunch of the “Made in Mexico” brand as a tool to strengthen the consumption of national products and generate a greater sense of belonging between companies and consumers.
In terms of talent development, he highlighted the Ruta Logística MX initiative , a public policy aimed at promoting the training and certification of professionals involved in the various links of the supply chains.
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