SAN PEDRO GARZA GARCÍA, NL – The reduction of the workday in Mexico will test the productivity of the manufacturing industry. Faced with this scenario, automation will be one of the tools used to compensate for the lost working hours and maintain the production capacity of the country’s plants.

During the conference “Intelligent Automation: Mexico’s New Industrial Engine”, at the 51st National Index Convention of the National Council of the Maquiladora and Export Manufacturing Industry (Index Nacional) , Luciano Diorio, CEO of Grupo Hi-Tec , considered that companies must accelerate the incorporation of technology and rethink their production processes to face the transition to a 40-hour work week, whose gradual implementation will begin in 2027 and conclude in 2030.

The challenge lies not only in reducing working hours, but in finding ways to produce the same or more with the available resources; otherwise, companies could face a significant increase in their operating costs , mainly due to the need to hire additional staff.

As an example, Diorio explained that a plant with a thousand workers would need about 20% more staff to maintain its production in 2030, based on a calculation that considers the reduction of working hours, although he clarified that it is a simplified estimate that does not take into account factors such as overtime, installed capacity or levels of automation.

The specialist applied this scenario to the export manufacturing industry and, using figures attributed to Index corresponding to 2025, projected that its approximately 2.8 million workers distributed across five thousand plants could require an additional 460,000 employees to sustain the same production levels.

“I’m not here to say that we shouldn’t hire people,” he said, pointing out that the response should focus on increasing the efficiency of operations and making better use of existing productive assets.

In that regard, Diorio explained that China has stopped competing exclusively through labor costs and has strengthened its industrial capacity through automation, while the United States has also increased its investments in industrial robots.

“China always competed with cheap labor. Today it is already automated. So, our main competitor for many years in manufacturing, abandoned the cheap labor model years ago after moving to automation,” he emphasized.

According to figures from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) , China installed 354,000 industrial robots in 2025, a 20% year-on-year increase; the United States grew 12% compared to 2024 to 38,500 units; and Japan, although it decreased 19% year-on-year, installed 36,219 robots in production plants.

In contrast, Mexico saw a 7% decrease in robot installations during the period , according to IFR data. The executive explained that 65% of the robots installed in the country are concentrated in automotive companies, so the investment cycles of this sector have a significant impact on market behavior.

This situation does not mean that Mexican industry lacks the capacity to adopt these technologies. On the contrary, Diorio highlighted examples of plants located in Nuevo León, such as Lenovo, that already use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to improve their processes and optimize their operations , anticipate failures, and enhance the quality of their products.

One of Diorio’s central arguments was that automation should be understood as a comprehensive transformation of processes and not as the simple acquisition of machinery .

To achieve this, he identified four levers that companies should consider: measure, decouple, consolidate, and predict .

The first step involves connecting the machines and collecting information to understand the actual performance of the plants, identify losses, and establish efficiency indicators, such as the overall effectiveness of the equipment.

The second seeks to decouple the operation from the permanent presence of workers, through automated processes that allow machines to continue working for longer periods.

The third focuses on consolidating operations, that is, reducing the steps needed to manufacture a part. Finally, the fourth lever involves using artificial intelligence to anticipate failures, reduce waste, and decrease downtime .

These tools would also allow for better use of industrial assets, as he considered that a significant portion of the machines’ available time remains unused.

In that regard, he questioned why companies keep high-value equipment idle for extended periods, when they could increase its utilization through better production scheduling and automated processes.

The conversation highlighted that reducing working hours should not automatically translate into higher production costs, provided that companies identify opportunities for improvement within their facilities.

“The law limits the number of hours people can work, but not machines,” Diorio summarized, insisting that the challenge for Mexican manufacturing will be to leverage technology to produce more efficiently and maintain its competitiveness in international markets.

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SAN PEDRO GARZA GARCÍA, NL – Energy capacity has become one of the factors limiting industrial expansion in Mexico. Although the country has electricity generation capacity , limitations in transmission and distribution networks make it difficult for energy to reach industrial centers in a timely manner, which can hinder investment, delay projects, and jeopardize the arrival of new businesses.

During the conference “Energy Capacity: From Bottleneck to Competitive Advantage” , at the 51st National Index Convention of the National Council of the Maquiladora and Export Manufacturing Industry (Index Nacional) , Monte Mickle, CEO of M2 Energy , warned that the main challenge for companies is not necessarily in producing electricity, but in having the infrastructure that allows it to reach their facilities.

The executive explained that this problem is already having repercussions in different regions of the country, particularly in manufacturing corridors and industrial parks linked to export activity, where some companies are facing difficulties in obtaining the necessary electrical capacity to expand their operations.

“The problem is how to deliver this energy. The problem lies with the transmission and distribution networks,” Mickle pointed out, explaining that having an industrial building does not guarantee that a company can begin operating if it does not have the required electricity supply.

This situation also alters investment decisions. Previously, companies first sought to acquire land, a building, or a client, and then addressed their energy needs. However, given the current restrictions, Mickle believes that electrical planning must be incorporated from the earliest stages of any expansion project .

The challenge takes on added relevance in a context where Mexico seeks to take advantage of North American productive integration and attract new manufacturing investments.

Mickle noted that US, European, and Asian companies considering setting up operations in the country already consider energy availability among their top priorities, along with delivery times for industrial facilities.

In that sense, he put the problem into perspective by sharing that 91% of the country’s companies experienced some type of power outage in the last 12 months .

The problems are concentrated in northern Mexican states such as Nuevo León, Chihuahua, Tamaulipas, Sonora and Baja California, areas of high maquiladora activity.

These incidents not only represent supply failures, but also a risk to the continuity of industrial operations, as they can cause production delays, delivery failures and disruptions to business activity .

According to the Mexican Association of Private Industrial Parks (AMPIP) , the 477 parks currently operating in the country require an installed capacity of 17,708 megawatts (MW) , while the 103 parks under construction will demand another 3,456 MW between 2026 and 2029.

The executive also questioned why the resources allocated to the electricity sector don’t necessarily translate into solutions for industrial users. He explained that a significant portion of the announced projects and budgets are focused on generation, while the most pressing needs of companies are related to transmission and distribution .

According to the specialist, waiting times to obtain a connection or expand capacity exceed 18 months in several corridors, and the delivery of equipment such as transformers can take up to 36 months.

Another point highlighted at the event was the growth of data centers , whose electricity demand is beginning to compete with that of industrial parks and manufacturing plants for available capacity in transmission networks.

Some data center facilities require around 100 MW, while a substation serving an industrial park of approximately 30,000 square meters can handle between 30 and 50 MW, Mickle explained.

The difference reflects the scale of data center requirements, driven by information storage, cloud services, and the development of artificial intelligence. Furthermore, these projects have significant financial resources to ensure their energy capacity, which intensifies competition for available connections.

Market figures support the scale of this demand. According to the Mexican Data Center Association (MEXDC) , Mexico has 279 MW of installed data center capacity, another 205 MW are under construction during 2026, and the sector’s requirements could reach 1.73 gigawatts (GW) by 2031.

This growth presents an additional challenge for the manufacturing industry, as both sectors require electrical infrastructure to realize their expansion plans. In this regard, Mickle believes that companies must anticipate their energy needs and not wait for public infrastructure projects to meet their requirements.

Self-consumption and planning, alternatives for the industry

Given this scenario, the executive suggested that companies should evaluate schemes that complement conventional supply, including cogeneration, gas-fired generation systems, solar panels, and storage batteries.

He cited as an example the model used by some data centers, which combine grid power supply with on-site generation to provide redundancy and reduce the risk of outages.

According to Mickle, these types of alternatives can also be part of the strategy of industrial parks and manufacturing companies , provided that the needs of each facility and the technical and economic viability of the solutions are analyzed.

He also recommended that companies review their current energy consumption, the power factor of their facilities, and their projected electricity requirements for the coming years. In some cases, he said, making adjustments can allow them to make better use of existing capacity without relying exclusively on new connections.

“We need to think about 2030. Right now,” he said, insisting that companies must incorporate energy investments into their budgets and growth plans now, instead of waiting until a new expansion materializes.

Mickle recommended reducing dependence on the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) and taking advantage of alternatives such as self-consumption, allowed up to 20 MW, as well as the transfer of capacity from substations with surpluses.

On June 24, the federal government announced an electricity expansion plan that will allocate 739 billion pesos (mdp) to add 32,000 MW of generation capacity to the National Electric System before the end of the six-year term in 2030, of which 70% will come from renewable sources such as photovoltaic solar, wind, solar thermal, geothermal and hydroelectric.

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In August 2026, storage services in Mexico generated revenues of 10 billion 059 million pesos (mdp) , which meant an increase of 1.8% compared to last July, when they totaled 9 billion 877 million pesos, according to the statistics of the Manufacturing, Maquiladora and Export Services Industry (IMMEX) program, prepared by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) .

According to the report, in the eighth month of the year there were  236 establishments registered  in that subsector, and the  number of people employed  was 15,471, an increase of 3.9% compared to July 2016.

Meanwhile, the total  hours worked  in August reached 2,943, representing a monthly increase of 1.2 percent.  Average wages for workers in this subsector, who were directly employed by the company, reached 32,405 pesos per person, 3.6% higher than in July.

Overall, in August 2026, the revenues of establishments participating in the IMMEX program totaled 693,315 million  pesos , representing a slight increase of 3.2% compared to the same month last year, when they were 671,725 ​​million pesos. Of the total, 58.5% corresponded to revenues from the foreign market.

With seasonally adjusted figures, in the eighth month of this year there were  6,465  establishments registered in the IMMEX program : 5,165 carried out manufacturing activities and the rest activities related to agriculture, fishing, commerce and services.

Baja California had the highest number of establishments (17% of the total). It was followed by Nuevo León (14.1%), Chihuahua (9.3%), Coahuila (7.3%), Guanajuato and Jalisco (6.4% each), and Tamaulipas (6.2%).

The number of people employed in establishments with the IMMEX program showed a drop of 0.1% on a monthly basis, while in its annual measurement, jobs increased by 0.1 percent.

Hours worked fell 0.1% month-on-month and rose 0.1% year-on-year. Meanwhile, average real wages declined 0.2% month-on-month but increased 4.2% year-on-year.

By subsector, the manufacture of transport equipment  had the highest income, with 248,349 million pesos.

The behavior of IMMEX establishments is relevant to logistics because these units are part of the operations linked to manufacturing and foreign trade. In this context, warehousing is a crucial link for safeguarding goods and supporting the flow of inputs and finished products between plants, distribution centers, and markets.

Data from August 2026 shows IMMEX activity that retains a strong export component and sustains demand for services linked to the supply chain.

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Foreign Direct Investment  (FDI) attracted by Mexico during the first half of 2026 (1H26) reached a record high of 34.968 billion dollars (USD) , representing a 2.1% increase compared to the same period in 2025, when it was 34.265 billion USD, with a significant contribution from the logistics sector, as announced by the Ministry of Economy (SE) .

“This investment reaffirms Mexico’s position as an attractive platform for investment and is based on the strength of its macroeconomic and institutional foundations, as well as the guidelines of the Mexico Plan,” the Ministry of Economy highlighted.

Behavior by economic sector

The federal agency detailed that in the first half of 2026, the manufacturing industry was the main recipient of FDI, attracting 13 billion 482 million dollars, which represented 38.6% of the total flow and an increase of 9.3% compared to the same period in 2025.

The expansion was driven primarily by increased investment in the manufacture of computer equipment, communications and electronic components, basic metal industries and the manufacture of machinery and equipment.

The financial services and insurance sector ranked second with $10.15 billion, equivalent to 29% of the total, and a growth of 10.9% compared to the first half of last year.

This was followed by transport, mail and storage , whose FDI almost quadrupled (287%) compared to the same period of the previous year, reaching two billion 650 million dollars.

FDI by type of investment

In 1H26, reinvestment of profits  registered the largest share with $30,957 million, equivalent to 88.5% of the total; new investments totaled $2,726 million (7.8%) and intercompany accounts $1,285 million (3.7% share).

Origin of FDI by country

In the period January-June 2026, the United States remained the main country of origin of FDI in Mexico, with a flow of 16 billion 871 million dollars, equivalent to 48.2% of the total.

Spain ranked second with $4.954 billion (14.2% of the total). It was followed by Canada with $1.741 billion (5%); Australia with $1.698 billion (4.9%); and Germany with $1.647 billion (4.7% share).

These five economies accounted for 77% of the total FDI flow received by Mexico at the close of the first half of 2026. The United States and Canada accounted for 53.2%, reflecting the deep integration of value chains in North America .

Destination of FDI by federal entity

Mexico City remained the top destination for FDI nationwide, attracting $16.862 billion, which represented 48.2% of the total in the first half of 2026.

They were followed by Nuevo León with 3.712 billion dollars, a 10.6% share of the total; the State of Mexico with 2.114 billion dollars (6% share); Baja California with 1.743 billion dollars (5%) and Jalisco with 1.406 billion dollars (4%).

These five federal entities accounted for 73.9% of the FDI received in the first half of 2026.

Meanwhile, only during the second quarter of 2026 (2Q26) was the arrival of 10,464 million dollars, which implied an adjustment of -3.5% compared to the 10,848 million dollars captured in the same cycle of 2025.

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The storage services subsector added 235 establishments in June 2026 , representing a slight growth of 0.85% compared to last May, when there were 233 units, according to statistics from the Manufacturing, Maquiladora and Export Services Industry (IMMEX) program, prepared by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) .

According to the report, the number of employees was 15,091 , an increase of 2.20% compared to May 2026.

Meanwhile,  hours worked in June totaled 2,871 , representing a monthly increase of 6.33 percent.  Average wages for workers in this subsector reached 30,765 pesos per person, 2.12% less than in May.

Revenues in the subsector amounted to  nine billion 782 million pesos (mdp) in the sixth month of the year, that is, a slight increase of 1.72% compared to May, when they totaled nine billion 616 million pesos.

Overall, in June 2026, the revenues of establishments participating in the IMMEX program were 697,032 million pesos, a 3.99% increase compared to the same month in 2025, when they totaled 670,246 million pesos. Of the total, 59.9% corresponded to revenues from the foreign market, reflecting the sector’s dependence on international demand.

With seasonally adjusted figures, in June of this year there were  6,520  establishments registered in the IMMEX program : 5,214 carried out manufacturing activities and the rest were related to agriculture, fishing, commerce and services.

Baja California had the highest number of establishments (17.3% of the total). It was followed by Nuevo León (13.8%), Chihuahua (9.3%), Coahuila (7.1%), Guanajuato and Jalisco (6.4% each), and Tamaulipas (6.2%).

On a monthly basis, employment grew by 0.4%, while year-on-year it fell by 0.4%. Hours worked increased by 0.2% month-on-month and decreased by 0.4% year-on-year.

In June 2026, average real wages fell 0.6% monthly and showed an annual increase of 4.7% in the income of workers in the sector.

According to the results of June 2026, the IMMEX establishments showed a mixed balance, with variations among the components that make it up.

These figures come in a context where Mexican foreign trade has once again registered strong performance. In June alone, the country’s exports totaled $72.551 billion , a 34.4% year-on-year increase.

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Mexican industrial activity registered a 2.1% increase in April 2026 compared to last March, derived from an increase in construction activities, reported the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) .

According to the agency’s figures, two of the four components of the Monthly Indicator of Industrial Activity (IMAI) performed positively in the fourth month of the year, with  construction showing the greatest growth, rising 7.6% compared to March 2016. Manufacturing industries advanced 1.2% during April on a monthly basis.

Conversely, mining fell 0.7%, and the generation, transmission, distribution and marketing of electricity, water supply and natural gas by pipeline to the end consumer fell 0.3%, both components at a monthly rate.

In April 2026,  the IMAI showed an increase in its annual measurement of 1.8 percent .

Within the indicator, manufacturing industries; and generation, transmission, distribution and marketing of electricity, water supply and natural gas by pipeline to the final consumer each decreased by 0.3%, on an annual rate.

Construction grew 10.2%, and mining activities rose 3.4% compared to April 2025.

With the increase recorded in April 2026, both on a monthly and annual basis, Mexican industrial activity is once again showing signs of recovery in an economic scenario marked by constant trade changes in the world and conflicts such as the one in the Middle East.

According to the results, the IMAI was driven by the construction sector, due to public infrastructure projects, works focused on urban development and some segments of building; however, other industries, such as manufacturing, showed mixed behavior.

The Monthly Indicator of Industrial Activity allows us to know and monitor the evolution of industrial activity in Mexico, Inegi emphasized.

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Querétaro continues to attract manufacturing investments . Koblenz announced an investment of over 1.5 billion pesos (MXN) to strengthen its production capabilities in the state through new facilities in the Bernardo Quintana Industrial Park , a project that includes more than 100,000 additional square meters of industrial infrastructure, the company reported in a statement.

The company —responsible for designing, manufacturing and marketing household and industrial products— indicated that the resources will be allocated over the next three years as part of a strategy to expand and modernize its operations in Mexico , to increase its manufacturing capacity and broaden its presence in white goods categories.

According to the firm, the new facilities will practically double its current production footprint and will be focused on strengthening infrastructure, technological integration and operational efficiency of its processes.

In addition to the growth in installed capacity, the project seeks to consolidate Koblenz’s presence in segments such as refrigeration and automatic washing machines through the incorporation of new technological platforms, engineering and advanced manufacturing.

“For decades, Koblenz has built a relationship of trust with millions of Mexican consumers. Today we begin a new stage with a modern, ambitious vision focused on the future,” said Luis Dorador, CEO of Koblenz.

The company explained that the expansion is part of a transformation and modernization process aimed at strengthening its technological and manufacturing capabilities , as well as generating new opportunities for regional and international growth.

Regarding the decision to establish this project in Querétaro , Luis Dorador highlighted that the state was selected for its infrastructure, availability of technical talent, and strategic connectivity.

“Querétaro was selected for its relevance as one of the most important industrial ecosystems in the country, as well as its infrastructure, technical talent, and strategic connectivity. We deeply believe in Mexico’s industrial potential and in Koblenz’s ability to compete and grow in this new phase,” he stated.

With this investment, the company seeks to strengthen its manufacturing platform in Mexico to respond to current and future market needs.

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After the rebound shown last March, manufacturing orders fell in April 2026, both on a monthly and annual basis, the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi)  and the  Bank of Mexico (Banxico) announced this Monday .

During the period, the  Manufacturing Orders Indicator (IPM) stood at  50.6 units , which meant a monthly decline of 0.6 points in April of this year, compared to the previous month.

The IPM, which presents the expectations and perception of business executives on the performance of the manufacturing sector in Mexico, also registered a negative figure in its annual measurement, with a decrease of 0.2 units .

Within the IPM, a monthly drop was shown in the production component , with a decline of 3.7 units in April 2026 compared to last March.

Conversely, raw material inventories increased by 2.3 points, and orders rose by 0.3 units. Total employment and on-time delivery of raw materials from suppliers remained unchanged month-over-month.

On an annual basis, production, total employment, and timeliness of supplier deliveries declined by 5.1, 0.6, and 0.5 points, respectively. Meanwhile, orders increased by 3.7 units, and raw material inventories rose by 1.1 points during the cycle.

By subsector groups that make up the IPM, those showing the greatest year-on-year declines were  petroleum and coal derivatives, the chemical industry, and the plastics and rubber industry , with 6.7 points. This was followed by  food, beverages, and tobacco , with 1.1 points.

Those that registered year-on-year increases were computer equipment, electronic accessories and electrical appliances , with 6.8 units; transport equipment , with 2.6 points; textiles, clothing, leather and hides, wood, paper and other industries , with 2.4 points; metal products, machinery, equipment and furniture , with 2.1 units; and non-metallic minerals and basic metals , with 1.6 points.

According to Banxico, knowing the Manufacturing Orders Indicator is crucial because it provides a preview of economic activity in Mexico.

“An increase in the MPI suggests that companies are receiving more orders and producing more, which can have a positive impact on the economy and investor confidence,” he explained. However, a decrease may indicate a decline in economic activity, which would affect product availability in the market and consumer prices.

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Mexican business confidence fell 0.2 points in April 2026  compared to last March and also decreased 0.4 units year-on-year, according to the  Global Business Confidence Opinion Indicator (IGOEC) , which stood at 48.2 points, as announced this Monday by the  National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) .

With this latest observation, the indicator has remained below the 50-point threshold for 14 consecutive months, reflecting pessimism among Mexican business owners, according to the results of the Monthly Business Opinion Survey (EMOE).

In this regard, the Business Confidence Indicator (BCI)  for  manufacturing industries  stood at  47.9 points  in April 2026, which was 0.1 points higher than in March. Within this indicator, the only component that decreased month-on-month was the current economic situation of the country , with a drop of 0.2 points.

The  Construction Economic Index (ICE)  was  48.1 units in the fourth month of the year. It increased by 0.3 points compared to the previous month. With this figure, the indicator has remained below the 50-point threshold for 20 consecutive months.

In the cycle, the  Commerce ICE  fell 0.1 points  compared to the previous month, settling at 48.9 units. Two of its five components declined compared to last March, with the company’s future economic situation showing the largest drop, at 1.5 points.

In the reference month, the  ICE for private non-financial services  fell  0.4 points  compared to March 2016, reaching 48.1 units. Three of its components showed negative performance.  The country’s current economic situation experienced the largest decline, falling 1.3 points.

In its annual measurement, the ICE for manufacturing industries fell 0.4 units; the one for construction advanced 1.4 points; the one for commerce registered an increase of 1.6 units; and the one for private non-financial services fell 1.7 points.

The decline in expectations among Mexican business leaders regarding the performance of the economy stems from various factors, including the uncertainty generated by tariffs worldwide, the conflict in the Middle East, and a weakening of domestic consumption, which has put pressure on the country’s commercial environment.

The IGOEC and ICE present the opinion of business executives on the economic situation of the country and their companies, so knowing the level of confidence of businessmen is important, since it influences their decision to invest.

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