CALPULALPAN, TLAX.- Tlaxcala seeks to consolidate its position as one of Mexico’s emerging industrial hubs , supported by new investments, expansion of manufacturing companies and development of infrastructure linked to logistics and automotive , stated Javier Marroquín Calderón, head of the State Secretariat of Economic Development (Sedeco) .

The official noted that the state currently has industrial expansion projects totaling nearly $60 million, which are expected to create around 300 jobs in the region. He explained that some of these investments began in 2025 and are continuing to be finalized this year.

“The key is to continue working as a team between the private sector and the public sector,” he said.

According to Marroquín Calderón, the state’s industrial growth has also strengthened the ecosystem of suppliers, services, and economic benefits in municipalities with a manufacturing presence.

He stated that one of the state government’s objectives is to maintain conditions that allow for attracting new investments and expanding operations already established in Tlaxcala , particularly in sectors related to manufacturing, mobility, and logistics.

“We must be grateful to the companies that continue to invest so much in the country and the state,” he stressed.

The official highlighted that Tlaxcala has sought to position itself as a competitive entity for industry through institutional support and direct attention to companies located in the state.

Part of this strategy, he said, also includes strengthening industrial parks and economic development projects promoted during the current state administration.

Marroquín asserted that Tlaxcala remains among the states with the greatest progress in the projects of the so-called well-being poles.

He added that the state seeks to continue strengthening its industrial capacity through specialized labor, training, and coordination between the state government, municipalities, and private companies.

“We need to continue generating well-being for workers and their families. That is the key to achieving good results,” he emphasized.

With these actions, Tlaxcala seeks to grow its economic activity.

According to the Quarterly Indicator of State Economic Activity (ITAEE) of the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) , in  primary activities , which include agriculture, fishing and livestock, Tlaxcala had an annual growth of 1.7% in the fourth quarter of 2025 (4T25).

The  industrial sector  reported a 1.3% year-on-year decline, although services showed better performance, with a 0.4% year-on-year increase in Q4 2025.

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CALPULALPAN, TLAXCALA – The automotive transport sector in Mexico is experiencing a period of reduced activity. The economic slowdown, increased operating costs, and reduced exports are beginning to impact fleets, with car carriers idled and more cautious investment decisions by transport companies, acknowledged Xavier Augonnet, General Director for Mexico at Lohr .

“The economy is very slow, we know that. The decisions of the American president, the wars, the increased price of diesel, the significant drop in exports from Mexico… there is a market contraction,” the executive stated.

The impact is already being felt in the sector’s daily operations. According to Augonnet, some fleets dedicated to automotive transport have reduced activity, particularly those linked to exports to the United States .

“All our clients come through here, but they are all experiencing significant slowdowns in activity, with their businesses at a standstill,” he commented.

Despite this, the French company maintains its growth plans in the country and seeks to strengthen its participation in the national market, where it currently concentrates around 10% of the segment .

The company’s strategy aims to develop more robust local operations, both in manufacturing and in after-sales services and maintenance , with the goal of directly serving Mexican carriers from its plant in Calpulalpan, Tlaxcala.

“It doesn’t make sense for customers to buy a unit in the United States and then have to import it themselves. We’re here, we have operations, we have a repair center, and we’re going to develop more services,” Augonnet emphasized.

The executive explained that a year ago the company only worked with two clients in Mexico and now operates with eight, while the goal is to continue expanding its presence in the national market.

“I was hired to develop the Mexican market. I hope that tomorrow we will have 12 or 15 clients. The point is to capture the market,” he said.

Lohr ‘s investment in Mexico is also part of a broader regional strategy. François Lhomme, president of the Lohr Group, stated that the operation in Tlaxcala serves as the company’s industrial base for North America.

“Mexico is strategic for Lohr because it represents our industrial base for all of North America,” he stated.

From this facility, the company seeks to serve not only the Mexican market, but also the United States, Canada, and later other South American countries .

“We want to use this industrial base to serve all other countries up to Brazil,” Lhomme added.

Currently, the plant maintains around 200 employees, although the company expects to continue expanding capabilities and personnel in the coming years as the regional market develops.

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Given the trade uncertainty caused by the United States’ tariff policies and the upcoming review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the Central Zone Automotive Cluster (CLAUZ) is committed to strengthening the regional capabilities of the automotive sector in Puebla and Tlaxcala . Furthermore, it seeks to promote infrastructure development and human capital development as a strategy to attract new investments.

Regarding the USMCA, one of the cluster’s main objectives is to position the region as a reliable partner , especially in the auto parts sector, said Mónica Doger, general director of CLAUZ, in an interview with T21.

“The most important thing is to strengthen local and regional capacities. To help companies understand the scope of the USMCA and align efforts in public policy and investment to consolidate the region as a reliable partner, especially in auto parts,” he said.

Doger emphasized that the main concerns surrounding the USMCA negotiations center on the tightening of rules of origin, environmental regulations, customs procedures, and labor compliance . In this last area, Mexico’s automotive industry is among the best prepared, and the cluster is responsible for keeping it up-to-date.

Regarding rules of origin, he suggested strengthening the supplier base, especially in Tier 2 and Tier 3, since they are required to comply with international certifications and standards.

“We need to create, together with the federal and state governments, a program to develop local suppliers that will allow them to comply with the new rules of origin,” he emphasized.

Puebla aims to recover investments

Following the report by the National Chamber of the Transformation Industry (Canacintra) Puebla on a 62% drop in foreign investment in the state, Doger pointed out that this situation is not recent, but a trend that has been maintained for years, which motivated the cluster to take some actions , such as carrying out a specialized study to attract new capital for the automotive sector.

The director indicated that the study was funded by the local business sector and identifies key needs for Puebla and Tlaxcala to become more competitive. This analysis was delivered to the governments of both states and outlines a precise roadmap for attracting investment focused on import substitution and developing local capabilities .

“We have an industry with more than 60 years of experience, internationally certified auto parts companies and highly trained talent, but we need better conditions to be more attractive,” Doger said.

One of the most significant findings of the study was the need to strengthen industrial parks . In this regard, it was noted that although Puebla has an Economic Development Hub for Well-being, it competes with states that have up to 80 industrial parks and 20 more under construction, many of them meeting high standards. Therefore, it was considered that without a solid industrial strategy, attracting significant investments will be difficult .

The specialist specified that the human talent available in the region must be improved, and reported that in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) , CLAUZ developed a training strategy that includes 107 training packages in the form of micro-credentials , which are designed to prepare local talent for the challenges of automation, Artificial Intelligence (AI), electric vehicles and the Internet of Things (IoT).

“It’s not about inventing new careers, but about filling the knowledge gaps that exist today so that our staff can be more competitive,” he stressed.

Puebla generated a production value of auto parts of three thousand 869.5 million dollars in the first half of 2025 , which placed the state in seventh place in value generated, according to data from the National Auto Parts Industry (INA) .

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