The National Council of the Export Manufacturing Industry (Index) strengthened ties with its US counterparts through meetings in Washington, DC, where the importance of bilateral trade and the export manufacturing industry was highlighted , in anticipation of the upcoming review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to be held this year.
In the working sessions, which took place over four days, the Index delegation presented a short, medium and long term strategy for the export manufacturing sector and its contribution to integration between Mexico and the United States .
The National Index Council expressed its willingness to collaborate constructively with the Mexican and U.S. governments to strengthen oversight of the Manufacturing, Maquiladora and Export Services Industry Program (IMMEX) . It also expressed its willingness to address any legal gaps and jointly develop solutions to improve the competitiveness and security of the North American supply chain .
Humberto Martínez, national president of Index, highlighted that these meetings left clear messages that underscore the role of the industry in regional and global trade, advancing the rapprochement with their US counterparts, key to strengthening confidence, attracting investments, generating employment and boosting the competitiveness of companies in the export sector of both countries.
Mexican and northern neighbor industries are deeply integrated, generating efficiency, competitiveness, and millions of jobs.
“Mexican exports to the United States contain more U.S. components than exports from any other trading partner, which promotes employment in the U.S. manufacturing industry,” the Index highlighted in a statement.
Regarding trade relations with Asia, any decoupling must be coordinated at the regional level, as the only way the United States can continue to reduce its trade deficit with China is through greater integration within North America. In this respect, Index member companies are a key lever for replacing Asian inputs with regional suppliers .
Index also strengthened its presence with interventions from Esteban Moctezuma Barragán, Mexico’s ambassador to the United States; Luis Rosendo Gutiérrez, Undersecretary of Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Economy ; and Ernesto Acevedo, head of the Economic Office in Washington.
In addition to Humberto Martínez; Felipe Villarreal, president of Index Nuevo León; René Espinosa, president of Index Chihuahua; Salvador Maese, president of Index Mexicali; Sergio Gómez Lora, CEO of Index USA; Jael Durán, general director of Index Nacional; Israel Morales, director of the Mexico-USA Committee, and Javier Ortiz, director of the Foreign Trade Committee, among others, were part of the Mexican delegation of the National Index Council.
On the US side were officials from the Department of Labor, the Department of Commerce, as well as representatives from companies such as Caterpillar, Cummins, Business Roundtable, Medline, and others.
Mexico’s manufacturing industry faces challenges, although it has remained resilient in the face of a volatile economic environment.
In November 2025 alone, IMMEX establishments closed with a contraction in employment (0.2%) and hours worked (0.9%) on a monthly basis, reflecting a gradual adjustment in the export sector. However, average real wages maintained a positive trajectory, with a slight monthly increase of 0.1% and an annual rise of 3.7%.
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