In 2024, the capture of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Mexico amounted to 36 thousand 872 million dollars (mdd) , and of this total, 7.4% was for the transportation, postal and storage sector , which meant two thousand 730.7 million dollars , according to information from the Ministry of Economy (SE) .
Compared to 2023, when the transportation, mail and storage sector registered an FDI of 2,283.5 million dollars , last year this industry showed an increase of 19.6 percent .
Although the influx of foreign investment received by logistics in 2024 was significant, it was not the highest amount.
In 2022, when some restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic were ending , the sector registered an FDI of 3,684.8 million dollars , which has been the largest disbursement so far since 2006. It was followed by 2017 with 3,305.3 million dollars and 2021 with 2,973.9 million dollars .
According to the Ministry of Economy, the subsector that received the most FDI from 2006 to 2024 was pipeline transportation , which accumulated to US$18,439.7 billion . In 2021 alone, it received US$2,258.9 billion in foreign investment , the highest in the period.
In 2024, which marked the end of Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s (AMLO)six-year term and the beginning of that of Mexico’s current president, Claudia Sheinbaum , Foreign Direct Investment in pipeline transportation was 2,251.1 million dollars , which represented a 6.1% share of total FDI last year.
Compared to 2023, when foreign companies invested 1,924.8 million dollars, FDI in 2024 in the aforementioned subsector increased by 16.9 percent .
This subsector showed declines in FDI capture from 2018 to 2020, when AMLO governed, who limited the participation of foreign investment in hydrocarbon exploration, as well as in storage and transportation, however, starting in 2021 it began to improve due to the start of some projects or the continuation of others, such as the Dos Bocas refinery in Tabasco .
Last year’s figure represented 0.8% of Mexico’s total foreign direct investment. 2014 was the best year for this subsector, attracting $368.9 million .
The 2024 figure represented a 0.3% share of last year’s total FDI; while in 2019, this subsector recorded its best year of Foreign Direct Investment, totaling $318.1 million .
According to information from the DataMéxico portal of the SE, from January 1999 to December 2024, the countries that have contributed the most to FDI in this subsector were the Netherlands and Germany with 295 million dollarseach, as well as the United States with 292 million dollars .
The best year for this subsector in terms of FDI was in 2022, reaching US$2,131.3 million , driven mainly by air cargo transport.
According to the Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC) , the volume of cargo transported increased 4.8% during the first half of 2022 compared to the previous year, reaching 374,470 tons in international operations.
The states with the greatest opportunity for development in air transportation are Coahuila, Querétaro, and Colima, according to the DataMéxico portal.
According to DataMéxico, Canada was the leading country investing in this subsector in Mexico last year. Meanwhile, Nuevo León, Aguascalientes, and Mexico City were the states that received the most FDI during the period.
According to the federal agency, 2007 was the year in which this subsector captured the most FDI, totaling US$619.7 million .
The surge in FDI last year indicates that the logistics industry is one of the driving forces of the Mexican economy, boosting growth, creating jobs, and improving competitiveness and local and foreign trade.
This sector facilitates the movement of goods, both within and outside the country, and helps companies optimize processes, reduce costs, and increase efficiency.
The logistics market in Mexico is estimated to have reached a value of $1,270.27 billion in 2024, and is expected to grow at an annual rate of 10.2% between 2025 and 2034, reaching $3,044.59 billion by the end of this period, according to the consulting firm Expert Market Research .
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