Mexico has an estimated annual demand for molds and dies of five billion dollars (USD) , but manufacturers established in the country cover only between 10% and 13% of the market, so it is necessary to expand production capacities in this sector, whose supply chain and logistics are complex since they depend, for the most part, on parts from Asia.
In this industry, which supports automotive, aerospace, electronics, household appliance and medical device manufacturing processes , among others, distance can mean a bottleneck.
“When a mold comes from another continent, as is the case with Asia, the problem isn’t just the cost of freight or taxes; you have to consider the transport time, the logistics procedures , the commissioning, and, above all, what happens afterward, because a mold can need many things throughout its productive life, such as repairs, adjustments, maintenance, or even an engineering change. And that’s where the problem lies, because that’s where distance, the geographical aspect, weighs heavily,” explained Eduardo Tovar, director of Industrial and Manufacturing Meetings in Mexico at Meximold.
A clear example of the above occurs in the automotive industry, where a modification may be linked to the launch or change of a part and have the person who manufactures the mold thousands of kilometers away, which makes the whole cycle longer.
“In the case of the aerospace industry, almost the same thing happens, because we are talking about tooling molds that are highly specialized , where precision, traceability and above all the issue of validation, which is very critical, are also needed,” he said.
Mexico’s dependence on foreign imports is evident in trade figures. According to the DataMéxico portal , from the Ministry of Economy , in 2024 the country imported approximately US$1.504 billion worth of rubber and plastic injection and compression molds, compared to exports of roughly US$196 million . China was the primary source of these imports, accounting for nearly US$538 million.
This, rather than a vulnerability of the Mexican market, represents an opportunity. The goal is to identify the segments in which domestic workshops are competitive and gradually develop the specialization necessary to service more complex tools. In this process, geographic proximity can become an advantage for regional supply chains .
“It’s not that we should stop importing, but rather that we should have more capacity close to the plants, which reduces the risk of a weak supply chain, because the mold is practically the mother of all industries; everything starts with a mold,” the specialist emphasized.
In an interview with T21, Tovar emphasized that distance is the main bottleneck in the mold supply chain, since some products, such as vehicle bumpers or a shampoo bottle cap, may require a quick model change and being so far away, redesigning, re-engineering, is more complex “because it is not the same to have a plant in the Bajío region as to have it in Shanghai.”
A key point in addressing this situation is that the molds should be manufactured closer to the user.
“A locally produced product is involved in the entire process; the cycle between design, testing, correction, and production becomes much shorter when it’s done locally. For example, if a problem arises during mold bonding, the manufacturer, if they’re nearby, can intervene quickly. And if an engineering change, maintenance, or repair is required later, you again have your supplier close by,” he said.
Developing local suppliers also reduces exposure to external disruptions such as logistical connectivity , international transport problems, or very long response times, especially given the geopolitical situation occurring in various regions of the world, such as the conflicts in Ukraine or the Middle East.
“Many of these molds are very heavy, they weigh tons, and they are not transported by plane, but often by ship; so we see the development of the national mold industry as part of strengthening regional manufacturing chains,” he explained.
In this regard, talent development is important. Tovar believes that Mexico already has workshops, technology, and personnel with relevant skills, although the training of specialists still needs strengthening . Practical experience remains fundamental for mold makers, engineers, programmers, and operators involved in toolmaking. Linking companies, universities, and technical centers would help expand the availability of profiles that meet the requirements of advanced industries.
Therefore, the opportunity in this sector lies not in eliminating imports, but in strengthening a supply chain that responds more quickly and with greater specialization to manufacturing needs. “The mold is a productive infrastructure, not a standard commodity,” Tovar concluded.
Comment and follow us on LinkedIn: @Humberto Cruz Moya / @GrupoT21
