SAN PEDRO GARZA GARCÍA, NL.– Mexico maintains opportunities to attract investment within the framework of the reconfiguration of global trade; however, uncertainty, infrastructure limitations and the lack of integration of national suppliers represent challenges to taking advantage of the potential of nearshoring (relocation of production lines).

During the panel “Reconfiguration of world trade and the new role of Mexico” , within the framework of ETYL MTY 2026 , organized by Grupo T21 , specialists agreed that the country’s competitiveness will depend on its ability to meet the operational needs of companies and consolidate more integrated supply chains .

Darío Villarreal, Principal & Co-Founder of Citius AG , noted that the rise of nearshoring boosted strong demand for industrial space in Mexico, particularly after the disruptions in supply chains caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, the market began to moderate its activity due to the uncertainty generated by US trade policies. According to the specialist, the sector’s greatest dynamism was recorded between 2021 and 2023, while subsequently some companies began to postpone their investment decisions .

Villarreal indicated that, despite this slowdown, the inventory of industrial buildings in Mexico grew, reflecting the expansion experienced by the market.

“If we put it on a four-year horizon, the total square meters or square feet of Class A and B industrial buildings built in Mexico grew by 34%,” he emphasized.

Recent trends confirm that the opportunity remains, although with differences between regions and sectors. In Monterrey, for example, CBRE reported an industrial vacancy rate of 6.9% at the close of the first quarter of 2026, while net absorption reached 212,000 square meters, driven primarily by expansions of companies already operating in the city.

The specialist identified opportunities in Ciudad Juárez, where companies involved in the manufacture of electronic components and microprocessors have helped to revitalize industrial activity. He also highlighted the development of data centers in Querétaro and the demand for infrastructure related to artificial intelligence (AI) .

These sectors are complemented by the expansion of logistics and e-commerce companies, which maintain storage and distribution needs.

Domestic suppliers, an outstanding task

For her part, Zelina Fernández, general director of Index Nuevo León , highlighted that Mexican manufacturing has evolved towards processes with greater technological content, automation and innovation, which requires the development of new capabilities among supplier companies.

The director explained that Index Nuevo León promotes the Reliable Supplier of the Manufacturing Industry (Procim) program, a tool aimed at identifying and evaluating suppliers to facilitate their incorporation into supply chains.

The process includes aspects such as documentation, reliability, quality and administrative organization, requirements that can represent obstacles for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) interested in supplying large manufacturers.

Fernández maintained that the challenge lies in strengthening domestic suppliers so they can meet industry requirements and contribute to import substitution. This integration, he added, requires training, certifications, and a long-term strategy.

He emphasized that a significant portion of the investment comes from companies already operating in Mexico and continuing to expand their production capacities, so reinvestments should be considered a relevant indicator of confidence in the country.

Energy and talent determine investment

Among the factors that can determine the arrival of new projects, Villarreal pointed to the availability of electricity and water , as well as the costs associated with infrastructure development.

He explained that the lack of electrical capacity in some industrial markets forces companies to evaluate fewer locations to install their operations and raises the costs of connection and construction of substations.

In this context, energy infrastructure becomes a competitiveness variable that can directly influence investment decisions. The availability of industrial land, in itself, does not guarantee that a region is ready to receive large-scale projects .

Zelina Fernández added that talent development must also keep pace with the manufacturing transformation. The industry needs workers with technical knowledge, digital skills, English proficiency, and capabilities that can respond to increasingly sophisticated production processes.

To achieve this, he considered it necessary to strengthen collaboration between companies, universities, and technical schools, with the aim of anticipating staffing needs and preventing a lack of specialized profiles from limiting growth.

Cross-border transport, another critical point

From a logistical perspective, Martín Rojas, Senior Adviser for the Americas at the International Road Transport Union (IRU) , warned that trade uncertainty and stricter enforcement are complicating transport operations in North America.

The specialist pointed out that tariffs on certain products and components, including steel and aluminum, can raise the costs of transport equipment and affect the operation of companies.

Added to this are waiting times at border crossings, the cost of tolls and fuel, as well as the diversity of regulatory provisions among the different levels of government.

Rojas believed that greater use of existing border infrastructure, along with investments in technology and information systems, would streamline review processes and reduce bottlenecks .

He also raised the need to move towards a more coordinated regulatory framework for freight transport , in order to prevent federal, state and municipal over-regulation from increasing operational difficulties.

Regarding e-commerce, he noted that the elimination of tax-free treatment for low-value shipments in the United States changed the conditions for courier companies, consolidation companies, and small exporters.

It’s worth noting that the suspension of the de minimis exemption for shipments up to $800 took effect on August 29, 2025, with applicable exceptions. This measure, announced by the White House, eliminated de minimis treatment for all countries, requiring all shipments to comply with new customs requirements and payments.

The change reinforces the importance of having technological systems capable of processing customs information and complying with the new requirements without generating unnecessary delays.

An opportunity that demands better conditions

During August 2026, Mexican exports to the United States totaled $60,637.4 million, an increase of 34.1% compared to the same month in 2025, according to figures from the United States Census Bureau .

This position puts the country in a favorable situation to supply the US market, but it also highlights the importance of maintaining competitive conditions against other international suppliers.

In that regard, Gerardo Tajonar, vice president of Canaco CDMX , who moderated the panel, stated that attracting investment to Mexico has been quite a phenomenon, as the figures are very attractive and interesting from a political perspective.

Experts agreed that attracting investment depends not only on geographical proximity to the United States. Energy capacity, talent availability, supplier integration, and logistical efficiency are all necessary conditions for sustaining productive projects.

In this scenario, Mexico faces the challenge of converting the opportunities of trade reconfiguration into long-term investments , with greater national added value and stronger supply chains.

Comment and follow us on LinkedIn:  @Humberto Cruz Moya  /  @GrupoT21

El cargo Logistics, energy, and talent: key to redefining Mexico’s competitiveness in the face of trade uncertainty apareció primero en T21.

Mexico’s industrial real estate market is going through a period of adjustment after growth driven by nearshoring (relocation of production lines), according to the Industrial Report for the third quarter of 2026 (3Q26) by Solili , a data and analysis platform dedicated to the real estate sector.

At the end of the July-September period of this year, space availability increased and construction decreased, amid greater caution from manufacturing companies . Despite this, demand remains strong, increasingly supported by logistics and warehousing activities .

Solili explained that the national industrial inventory reached 115.1 million square meters (m2) at the close of Q3 2026, a year-on-year increase of 5.5 million m2. In September, vacant space reached 6.3 million m2, equivalent to a national vacancy rate of 5.5 percent.

The figure contrasts with the historical low, which was 1.8% and was recorded in mid-2023. In this case, the increase has been visible above all in manufacturing markets : Tijuana reached a vacancy rate of 10.2%, while Reynosa, Monterrey and Ciudad Juárez closed at 7.3%, 7.0% and 6.0%, respectively.

Less construction in the face of greater availability

In this context, the adjustment was also reflected in the development of new spaces . Between January and September, construction began on 2.5 million m2, 35% less than in the same period of 2025. Thus, the total area under construction stood at 3.4 million m2 at the end of the third quarter , after exceeding 5.9 million at the end of 2024, a period in which it reached its historical peak.

Deliveries also began to decline. During the first nine months of the year, they totaled 3.5 million square meters, 30% below the five million recorded last year.

Logistics gains ground

Even with this scenario, leasing activity remains dynamic . Gross absorption reached 1.6 million square meters during the third quarter, 5% more than in the same period of 2015. At the same time, between January and September it accumulated four million square meters, an annual increase of 8 percent.

Solili identified a greater weight of logistics and warehousing activities in this demand, particularly in large urban centers, while manufacturing companies have moderated their investment and expansion decisions.

Mexico City accounted for 28% of gross national absorption during the quarter, followed by Monterrey and Guadalajara, with 14% each. Manufacturing saw significant activity, such as LEGO ‘s acquisition of nearly 50,000 m2 in Ciénega de Flores, Nuevo León, and Foxconn ‘s 87,000 m2 in two locations in El Salto, Jalisco.

Meanwhile, asking prices remain relatively stable despite increased availability. The national average closed at $7.67 per square meter per month, although Solili noted that in markets with higher vacancy rates, the gap between asking prices and final sale prices has widened.

Thus, the industrial market is reaching the end of the cycle with a less accelerated dynamic than during the nearshoring boom . Developers are slowing the pace of new construction due to greater availability, while demand continues to grow, with an increasingly important logistics and warehousing component.

The main image was generated using artificial intelligence.

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In a decade, Mexico’s maritime landscape shifted dramatically. Trade with Asia gained momentum, Pacific ports absorbed larger container volumes, and supply chains began demanding more than just shipboard space. Against this backdrop, Cosco Shipping Lines Mexico quadrupled to quintupled its operations and is now preparing for a new phase, aiming to expand its presence from maritime transport into land-based transportation and other logistics solutions.

This evolution coincides with a structural growth in trade between Mexico and China, which, according to Mateo Cepeda, Senior Sales & Export Manager of Cosco Shipping Lines Mexico, allowed the company to move from a secondary position to becoming one of the main participants in container shipping in the country, particularly on the Pacific.

The starting point was 2016, although a broader transformation lay behind it. The global integration of Cosco Shipping and China Shipping occurred after one of the most turbulent periods for the maritime industry, characterized by overcapacity, falling rates, and a wave of mergers and consolidations among shipping lines. The integrated operation in Mexico began on July 15 of that year, after combining systems, vessels, container inventories, and portfolios that had previously operated separately.

But the company’s transformation cannot be explained solely by that merger. At the same time, Mexico increased its dependence on Asian supply chains , and the containerization of the transpacific route gained momentum.

This move transformed the country into a central part of Cosco’s regional network. Cepeda stated in an interview with T21 that more than half of the cargo originating in the Far East within the market the company serves on the west coast of Latin America is destined for Mexico , while all of its transpacific services in this region make stops at Mexican ports.

Manzanillo occupies a particularly relevant position : 100% of Cosco’s services on this network touch that port, while other routes incorporate Ensenada and Lázaro Cárdenas before continuing towards Colombia, Peru and Chile, with Chancay, operated by Cosco Shipping Lines, being incorporated as a new node for the connection with Asia.

“Mexico is the main driver in terms of cargo volume,” Cepeda said, explaining the importance the country has acquired within the shipping company’s regional structure.

The expansion, however, is no longer focused exclusively on the Pacific. A decade ago, Cosco’s Mexican operation was almost entirely concentrated in Manzanillo, with only occasional services in Lázaro Cárdenas. Since then, it has added Ensenada and extended its service to Altamira and Veracruz , from where it operates routes to Europe, the Caribbean, and the east coast of South America. It has even begun deploying its own vessels on some of these routes, after previously operating through partnerships with other carriers.

This growth is also reflected inland. From approximately 30 or 40 employees in 2016, Cosco Shipping Lines Mexico now has over 140. This growth has been further enhanced by the addition of its own offices in Manzanillo and Ensenada, a commercial presence in Monterrey, Querétaro, and Guadalajara, and operations through agents in Lázaro Cárdenas, Altamira, and Veracruz.

Behind this geographical distribution also lies the way Mexican foreign trade has been structured . While around 85% of the country’s exports go to the United States and Canada, a significant portion of maritime imports come from the Far East. For shipping companies, this structure creates an imbalance that Cepeda estimates at between four and five import containers for every one maritime export container.

The response has been to seek Mexican cargo that allows them to utilize equipment that must be returned to other markets. Electronics, appliances, auto parts, vehicles, cotton, minerals, beer, and refrigerated products are among the segments where the company has sought to develop exports, although Cepeda currently identifies an additional obstacle: the strength of the peso, which can reduce the competitiveness of some Mexican products in international markets.

It is precisely on land where Cosco sees one of its greatest areas for future growth . The location of major industrial and consumer centers far from the coast necessitates complementing maritime transport with road and rail connections. The strategy involves increasing the proportion of shipments in which the shipping company itself incorporates land transport into the bill of lading and determines, together with the customer, which combination of port, rail, or trucking is most suitable.

“We increasingly want to be a player in the supply chain and be able to provide comprehensive solutions to customers, not just in the maritime sector,” Cepeda explained.

The expectation is that, within the next few years, a considerable proportion of its containers will incorporate value-added services beyond the maritime leg. “We don’t just see ourselves as a company whose core is the sea, but also land, ground transportation, trucks, and trains,” he added.

This gamble comes as cargo growth begins to encounter the limitations of Mexico’s infrastructure . Cepeda notes that the Pacific remains the primary driver of the country’s maritime trade, but also identifies bottlenecks that could limit the capacity to absorb new volumes.

According to the executive, this tension is also a consequence of the speed at which the market has grown. “Part of the challenge has been seeing how we can, within that growth, keep up or keep pace with the growth in terms of infrastructure ,” he noted.

Cosco’s outlook is that demand will continue. Nearshoring , it argued, does not necessarily diminish trade with Asia: new plants established in Mexico require machinery, components, and raw materials from the Far East , which can ultimately generate greater transpacific shipping needs. Even in light of the North American trade negotiations, the shipping company anticipates that Mexican demand will maintain a growth trajectory in the medium and long term.

The immediate outlook, however, remains volatile. Cepeda identified pressures on tariffs stemming from fuel costs, tensions in the Middle East, disruptions related to the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, and blank sailings that temporarily reduce the effective availability of space.

This reveals a paradox of current maritime transport : while shipping companies continue to add capacity, some of it cannot be deployed normally due to geopolitical conflicts, energy costs, and route changes. At the same time, Mexican demand remains strong. According to data cited by Cepeda during the interview, Pacific cargo was growing by nearly 6%, compared to a contraction of approximately 7% in the Gulf and an overall increase of around 2%.

The company has also undergone another, less visible transformation: the digital one . Processes that a decade ago relied on emails, documents, and manual procedures migrated first to e-commerce platforms and later to more sophisticated technological tools. Among these is GSBN , a blockchain- based platform used to accelerate cargo release processes, which is already operating in Mexico.

Digitalization and integrated logistics will be accompanied by a third pillar: decarbonization. Cosco has begun incorporating methanol-powered vessels, and Cepeda anticipates that this fleet transformation will have an increasingly significant presence in operations linked to Mexico. At the same time, artificial intelligence and new digital platforms should facilitate customer reservations and management without eliminating human contact, he asserted.

The scale of this change can also be seen in the ships. When integrated operations began in Mexico, Cosco relied on shared services with other shipping lines; in 2018, it launched its first service operated entirely with its own vessels, and in 2024, it added a second. This is further complemented by its participation in Ocean Alliance , which emerged in 2017.

Thus, the first 10 years were marked by the consolidation of services, routes, offices, and volume ; the following years point toward a different transformation. The strategy is no longer solely about increasing capacity between Asia and Mexican ports, but about capturing a larger share of the supply chain that begins or ends behind them.

“Growth, continued confidence in Mexico, continued investment,” Cepeda summarized regarding the company’s outlook, but now with three components that will define that expansion: door-to-door services, digitalization, and decarbonization .

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El cargo Cosco looks beyond the sea: its logistics strategy for the next decade apareció primero en T21.

Driven by the growth of cross-border trade and the increasing opportunities brought about by nearshoring in North America, SIEM Business launched operations of its new subsidiary, SIEM Mountain, which will serve as the ultimate logistical and legal bridge between Mexico and the United States. 

“With SIEM Mountain, we don’t just offer a warehouse or a truck; we sell operational certainty and peace of mind to companies looking to relocate their supply chains without the frictions of border bureaucracy. We are the foreign trade office and comprehensive strategic partner that the Texas and Mexican markets needed,” said Sergio Islas Arias, CEO of the company.

These facilities are located in the border industrial zone at 12110 Esther Lama Drive, El Paso, Texas, with immediate access to I-10 and a proximity of six miles to the international bridges on the border with Mexico.

SIEM Mountain’s new facility boasts 100,000 sq ft (approximately 9,200 sq m) of optimized operating space for warehousing and cross-docking. It features a 24 ft clearance height and a total of 28 dock doors to ensure efficient loading and unloading. Additionally, there is a 200 ft truck yard with dedicated parking for 30 trailers simultaneously.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics , freight trade between Mexico and the United States reached $86 billion in April 2026 alone, a 23.4% year-over-year increase, with El Paso consolidated as one of the top three truck freight ports with Mexico.

While the Ministry of Economy reported that during last May Mexican exports to the United States broke a historic record of 54.18 billion dollars, accumulating 558 billion dollars in the last 12 months and confirming Mexico as the main trading partner of the United States.

“El Paso has established itself as one of the three main cargo ports between Mexico and the United States, markets that exchange more than $558 million annually in Mexican exports to the United States,” Islas Arias explained.

In this regard, he explained that SIEM Mountain will have 360° coverage , integrating all links of the global and cross-border supply chain into a single entity.

• Customs Broker and Agent: Customs clearance with coverage throughout the United States. Specialists in permanent, temporary, and virtual imports and exports, IMMEX programs, accurate tariff classification, preventive foreign trade audits, and accredited inspection warehouses.
• Binational Land Transport: Full and partial cargo coverage, real-time monitoring and tracking, automatic arrival notifications, and customized reports.
• Free Trade Zone and Warehousing: Intelligent management and online inventory control for tax deferral and tax optimization.
• Ocean & Air Freight: Direct connection from the Texas border to major ports in Europe and Asia, offering ample weekly availability.

Similarly, SIEM Mountain incorporates cutting-edge technology to offer end-to-end visibility . Through its proprietary technological tools and platforms, it provides intelligent, real-time tracking of your goods, access to predictive data, and reports that safeguard your operations against any eventuality or customs inspection, ensuring transparency and security throughout the entire process.

This new platform begins operations by actively integrating into the business ecosystem of the southwestern United States, collaborating with local organizations such as the El Paso Chamber of Commerce and the Borderplex Alliance to catalyze new investments and accelerate the region’s business dynamics.

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El cargo SIEM Business launches SIEM Mountain; seeks to strengthen the cross-border supply chain apareció primero en T21.

In light of the review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) , the federal government assured that it is working on various actions to expedite foreign trade.

Estefanía Capdeville, Director General of Customs Services and International Affairs at Mexico’s National Customs Agency (ANAM) , said that improving operations through digitalization not only facilitates trade but also increases revenue collection. For this reason, they invested in technology such as arches, intelligence centers, and specialized personnel .

“All this investment, it’s true, has a revenue-raising component, but also an investment in the country. The USMCA is giving us the opportunity; all the geopolitical and foreign trade changes we are experiencing are giving us the opportunity for our customs to become an international benchmark. If we manage to make our customs an example of digitalization and efficiency, and with Mexico’s geographic location and the new investment opportunities we will have, we can change this moment and become a leader in facilitating foreign trade,” he asserted.

During his participation in the panel “Facilitation of Mexican Foreign Trade”, at the 8th Amacarga Congress , he assured that if greater efficiency is achieved in various customs processes, foreign trade volumes will increase , “which brings benefits to all of us, including tax collection.”

“In order to receive all the information, we need the necessary infrastructure to store and analyze it. In the first six months of this year, priority customs offices must be fully equipped with the necessary infrastructure. Currently, only 7% of our vehicles are automated; we need to invest heavily in infrastructure to streamline everything,” he noted.

He noted that the Mexican Single Window for Foreign Trade (VUCEM) is in place, procedures have been simplified in various agencies, and work is underway to digitize them.

Claudia Franco Arias, director of International Transport Affairs at the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transport (SICT) , agreed that facilitating and digitizing customs processes increases revenue in a sustainable way .

“Freight forwarders are important players; we will no longer see them as mere logistics facilitators. Now we will see them as more focused and specialized because they consider different elements such as security, economics, and adequate logistical traceability to streamline and manage the costs we are experiencing with tariffs,” he stated.

For his part, José Ignacio Aguado, Director General of Innovation, Services and Domestic Trade at the Ministry of Economy (SE) , indicated that the focus should be on trade facilitation, for which there are the Mexico Plan, development hubs, the relaunch of the “Made in Mexico” brand, among others.

“With the review of the USMCA, we want to accelerate nearshoring , and this is through facilitation, not only with the integration of Mexican government actors such as the SICT, the Treasury, ANAM, and the single window, but also with foreign trade actors such as freight forwarders. Integration is a great step because it gives certainty to the outside world,” he emphasized.

He argued that to make the country more competitive, the public sector needs to be more efficient through technology and innovation.

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El cargo Mexico seeks to streamline foreign trade through digitization and facilitation apareció primero en T21.

Industrial relocation in Mexico is not only transforming the demand for industrial parks and logistics spaces; it is also modifying the operational needs of construction companies, manufacturers, and companies linked to the movement of goods, according to MTM , a company dedicated to the manufacture and marketing of waste compactors, concrete mixers, and mobility solutions.

While nearshoring (relocation of production lines) accelerates investments and new industrial developments in different regions of the country, increasingly visible pressures are beginning to emerge on infrastructure, supply chains and the availability of specialized machinery, the firm explained in a statement.

During 2024, demand related to industrial relocation exceeded two million square meters of industrial space in Mexico. Furthermore, the construction sector maintains a share of approximately 7% of the national Gross Domestic Product and generates around 7.8% of employment in the country, according to data cited by MTM.

However, behind that industrial growth, new challenges for daily operations also began to emerge: supply chain delays, increased logistics costs, energy pressure, and longer waiting times for imported machinery and spare parts.

In this context, domestic manufacturers of heavy machinery are seeking to gain ground in a market historically dominated by imports. The growth of industrial construction has also increased the demands for operational continuity for construction companies and logistics operators , particularly in an environment where delivery times and the availability of technical support are becoming strategic factors.

Under that scenario, MTM explained that it strengthened national manufacturing schemes, local availability of spare parts and specialized technical support.

The company stated that its plants operate under ISO 9001:2015 certification and produce solutions adapted to the operating conditions of the Mexican market.

“Today, the industry not only demands machinery; it demands solutions capable of integrating with different operating ecosystems and global platforms,” commented Emmanuel Vargas, the company’s Marketing Manager.

The executive added that competitiveness no longer depends solely on manufacturing equipment and now also requires developing adaptable engineering compatible with different operating platforms.

Under this scenario, the local availability of machinery, spare parts and technical support is beginning to gain importance within industries where imports have historically predominated.

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El cargo Mexican manufacturing gains ground in the face of logistical and industrial pressure apareció primero en T21.

The reconfiguration of global trade has favored Mexico as an investment destination, but the growing dependence on the US market and the advance of Asia as a strategic supplier pose new challenges to the competitiveness and resilience of supply chains .

Given this scenario, companies are modifying their strategies to reduce risks and ensure operational continuity in an environment marked by geopolitical tensions, changes in trade policies, and economic uncertainty stemming from US tariffs.

This was pointed out by Carlos Kuriyama, director of the Policy Support Unit of the APEC Secretariat ( Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum ), who explained that, since the mid-2010s, a process of productive reconfiguration began that has led companies to diversify their operations and seek new locations for manufacturing and investment.

According to the expert, Southeast Asia and Mexico have been the main beneficiaries. Countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand, among others, have captured a significant portion of the investment flows seeking alternatives to China; while Mexico has strengthened its position thanks to its proximity to the United States.

This trend is reflected in investment flows. By the end of 2025, Mexico had received $40.871 billion in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) , representing a 10.8% increase compared to the FDI received in 2024, primarily in manufacturing, thus consolidating its position as one of the leading recipients of productive capital among developing economies.

However, Kuriyama cautioned that the international context is changing again. The uncertainty stemming from new trade policies and tariff measures could pose challenges for economies highly integrated into a single market.

In that regard, he emphasized that one of Mexico’s main challenges will be to diversify its trade relations . Currently, more than 80% of Mexican exports go to the United States, a concentration that exposes the country to risks stemming from regulatory or trade changes in its main economic partner.

In March 2026 alone, the value of trade between Mexico and the United States reached $83,978.6 million, an 8.6% increase compared to March 2025.

According to Kuriyama, while exports continue to depend on North America, imports show a different dynamic. The specialist believes that Mexico has increased its purchases of components, supplies, and technology from Asia, driven by the competitiveness of suppliers in that region in terms of cost, quality, and availability.

This situation poses an additional challenge for companies based in the country: maintaining compliance with the rules of origin established in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to retain preferential access to the U.S. market, without giving up the competitive advantages offered by sourcing from Asia.

In an interview with T21, Kuriyama emphasized that Mexico’s geographic location represents a strategic advantage that can be better leveraged. Connectivity to both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans opens opportunities to expand markets and strengthen trade ties beyond North America .

This evolution is also transforming how supply chains operate. The just-in-time model , which prioritizes minimal inventory and efficient sourcing, is giving way to more flexible, resilience-oriented systems.

According to the APEC executive, more and more companies are incorporating redundancy into their supply chains and maintaining higher inventory levels to reduce the risk of production disruptions due to geopolitical conflicts , trade restrictions, or logistical problems.

“We are evolving from a just-in-time system to a just-in-case system ,” Kuriyama summarized, describing the need for safety margins that allow for responding to unexpected scenarios.

Resilience has become a central factor in corporate decision-making. The rise of nearshoring (relocation of production lines) and the search for more secure supply chains have contributed to Mexico registering record levels of FDI.

Regarding trade policy, Kuriyama maintained that economic openness remains a fundamental condition for strengthening competitiveness . In his opinion, international trade requires a flow where exports and imports complement each other within increasingly integrated value chains.

The specialist warned that the increase in tariffs generates higher costs for companies, by making inputs and components more expensive, and these increases are passed on to final consumers through higher prices.

In a scenario where, according to the executive, Asia is gaining relevance as a global supplier and companies are seeking to reduce operational risks, Mexico faces the opportunity to consolidate itself as a strategic hub between North America and the Asia-Pacific region. To achieve this, trade diversification, logistical integration, and economic openness will be key factors.

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El cargo Mexico faces the challenge of trade diversification and supply chain reconfiguration apareció primero en T21.

Amid growing trade uncertainty between the United States and China, as well as the review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) , Querétaro seeks to position itself as one of the country’s main logistics, industrial and technological hubs.

At the conference “Economic Perspectives for Investment and Strengthening the Supply Chain” at the GOMSA 2026 Event , Genaro Montes Díaz, Undersecretary of Economic Development of Querétaro, stated that Mexico is facing a decisive moment in trade and that the review of the agreement with the United States and Canada will force companies to strengthen traceability, knowledge of their supply chains and communication between operational, logistics and foreign trade areas.

“The United States wants to know where the goods come from, what the DNA of the products is, and how the value chains are integrated,” he said.

During his participation, Montes Díaz explained that the international environment has changed radically since the pandemic and the trade war between the United States and China , which accelerated processes such as nearshoring (relocation of production lines) and the regionalization of production chains.

He recalled that many companies moved their production to China for decades because of the low manufacturing costs; however, factors such as technological restrictions, the pandemic and the semiconductor crisis highlighted the vulnerability of depending on distant supply chains.

“What we are seeing today did not begin with the pandemic. Regionalization already existed, but the pandemic made evident the need to bring production closer to consumer markets,” he commented.

In that context, he warned that the review of the USMCA will be marked by three major issues: the traceability of goods, the rules of origin, especially in steel and aluminum, and the rapid response labor mechanisms.

Querétaro is betting on technology, logistics and talent

The undersecretary highlighted that Querétaro has built an industrial strategy based on diversification and specialization over decades , evolving from the food industry to sectors such as automotive, aerospace, medical devices, data centers and advanced technologies.

Currently, he said, the state concentrates about 75% of the data centers installed in Mexico , in addition to having a strategic geographical position in the center of the country, logistical infrastructure and a network of more than 130 public and private universities.

“Querétaro does not represent even 1% of the national territory, but it has become one of the most competitive and safe states in the country,” he stated.

Montes Díaz highlighted the growth of the Querétaro International Airport as a logistics hub, driven by both passenger traffic and the increase in air cargo, as well as the presence of operations by companies such as UPS and Mercado Libre .

He also emphasized the importance of the aerospace sector in the state, stating that Querétaro is one of only three places in the world where aircraft engines are manufactured , along with France and the United States.

One of the central messages of the conference was the need for Mexican companies to strengthen the integration between production, logistics, purchasing and foreign trade to respond to new international requirements.

The official warned that many companies still operate with fragmented information, making it difficult to prove the true origin of products and comply with the standards that the United States will require.

“If production areas do not share information with logistics and foreign trade, companies will be at a competitive disadvantage,” he warned.

Therefore, he insisted that talent development, digitalization, collaboration between academia, government and industry, and the strengthening of local suppliers will be fundamental to facing the new stage of international trade.

A complex scenario for Mexico

Montes Díaz also addressed the macroeconomic challenges facing the country, including the uncertainty generated by U.S. trade policies, tariff volatility, and the recent reduction in Mexico’s credit rating.

Even so, he considered that the country maintains important advantages thanks to its integration with the US market, which represents the destination of more than 80% of Mexican exports .

“Mexico has a huge opportunity, but we have to prepare. We can’t stop it from raining, but we can put on our umbrellas before the storm,” he stressed.

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El cargo Querétaro: traceability, logistics and technology in the face of current challenges apareció primero en T21.

Given the relocation of companies (nearshoring) and the renegotiation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), supply chains in the country face challenges in infrastructure, customs, security, technology, among others, industry specialists agreed.

Antonio Arranz, president of DHL Express Mexico , said regarding the USMCA that work must be done on the correct rules of origin, as well as having the necessary infrastructure for information management and security.

“Infrastructure is the most delicate issue we have; there is a delay of 10 or 20 years, and the United States is getting very serious about cybersecurity and not letting them get away with dumping. So one of the issues that Mexico most urgently needs to work on in the customs area is how to ensure the correct rules of origin and the correct infrastructure,” he commented.

He explained that there is also an opportunity in the management of customs areas, mainly in ports and some airports, a situation that is contrary to what exists at the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA).

“When the 12 bonded warehouses opened at AIFA, it freed up 200,000 square meters of capacity that Mexico City didn’t have. Mexico needed those 200,000 square meters to be able to operate; the implementation was painful, but it advanced us 20 years. Monterrey Airport is behind, as is Guadalajara’s, and the only modern one is AIFA. Bonded warehouses are needed at the borders to do this; the only risk is that it will become a monopoly,” he commented.

During the 3PL Ally panel, third in name, first in excellence organized by Conalog , Iliana Gámiz, CEO of E2E Supply Chain Services, mentioned that there is a great opportunity to offer a complete solution for the supply chain , that is, supplier, transport, visibility, among others.

Regarding the labor reform, he considered the initiative positive because “it brought order, since before we competed with companies that had their payroll off the books, and our costs were higher than the market, especially in the maquiladora sector, and clients said they had three cheaper suppliers. And that helped us a lot in bringing order.”

Jorge López, VP Sales at NetLogistik, explained that in the technological field, the digitization of processes must be applied , “one of the challenges that we continue to face in the Latin American market is the incredible fact that many processes are still carried out on paper; we lack that value proposition.”

Furthermore, he said that the implementation of these processes leads to economic benefits, an increased level of service, and benefits for the end customer.

Regarding the use of artificial intelligence, he commented that there is currently the concept of artificial intelligence agents for the supply chain, a tool that helps to automate processes and analysis.

Comment and follow us on LinkedIn:  @Evangelina del Toro  /  @GrupoT21

El cargo Supply chains face challenges in the face of nearshoring and the USMCA apareció primero en T21.

The industrial market in Mexico began 2026 with mixed signals, but with the northeast consistently leading the way in inventory absorption and growth. According to Pablo Quezada , CEO of Datoz , this region has not only grown above the national average in recent years, but has done so with solid demand fundamentals, not solely due to speculation .

During the first quarter of the year, the country’s industrial inventory approached 1.2 billion square feet . However, understanding its evolution requires going beyond the aggregate figure.

“In real estate, location is everything,” the executive explained in an interview.

In that sense, the northeast, with key markets such as Monterrey, Saltillo and Reynosa, has registered an average growth of close to 7% in the last five years, above the 5% observed in other regions such as the Bajío, the central or the northwest.

One of the most relevant findings is that this growth is supported by demand. Through a comparative analysis of cumulative absorption and inventory, Datoz found that the Northeast has a ratio close to 30% , compared to 20% for other industrial regions.

This indicates that real estate development in this area responds, to a greater extent, to real market needs.

“This is not mere speculation. In relative terms, there has been more demand than in other regions,” Quezada stated.

This stability is also reflected in the composition of new developments. Unlike other areas of the country, where speculative construction can exceed 80%, in the northeast it represents around 70%. The remainder consists of build-to-suit projects , meaning developments tailored to a specific tenant, suggesting a more cautious approach on the part of developers.

Currently, the Northeast is in a favorable phase of the real estate cycle for renters, with higher levels of availability. However, this trend is beginning to change.

“The availability rate is already showing signs of adjustment and could begin to decline in the coming quarters,” Quezada explained.

This behavior contrasts with other regions such as the northwest, where the cycle has not yet reached its peak.

According to the specialist, this adjustment is a natural market reaction, where developers begin to moderate the pace of construction in response to signs of oversupply, which helps to maintain the balance of the sector.

The major obstacle: energy and infrastructure

Despite its dynamism, growth in the Northeast faces structural limitations, particularly in the energy sector. The lack of sufficient infrastructure to support industrial projects , especially manufacturing, has become a factor that could hinder new investment.

“There are projects that simply don’t get off the ground because there’s no energy available,” Quezada warned.

This problem not only involves the construction of new plants, but also the development of transmission networks, which requires time and large investments.

Within the northeast, states like Nuevo León and Coahuila concentrate much of the activity. In contrast, Tamaulipas maintains more moderate growth, partly due to strong competition from Monterrey as an industrial hub.

“Monterrey is a formidable competitor. Many companies that could set up shop in border cities end up choosing this city because of its scale and productivity,” he explained.

However, markets such as Reynosa, Matamoros, or Nuevo Laredo remain attractive to companies that prioritize strategic location and proximity to the United States.

Contrary to the perception of a slowdown, Datoz believes that nearshoring still has room to grow in Mexico. The relocation of supply chains responds to structural changes in global trade and to an increasingly demanding consumer in terms of delivery times.

“The trend isn’t going to stop. Beyond geopolitics, it’s the consumer who is driving closer supply chains,” Quezada noted.

In this context, the review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) could also play a key role. While it generates uncertainty in the short term, its conclusion could trigger new investments by offering greater certainty to the markets.

Outlook 2026

Although the beginning of the year showed lower absorption levels than in previous periods, the outlook is positive. Datoz anticipates a gradual recovery as the year progresses, supported by a historically upward trend in demand for industrial space.

“The behavior is not linear, but the trend is clear. We expect the market to recover gradually in the coming quarters,” he emphasized.

Comment and follow us on LinkedIn:  @Jennifer Galindo  /  @GrupoT21

El cargo Northeast leads the industrial real estate market: Datoz apareció primero en T21.