The outlook for the automotive industry in the face of the revision of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is not encouraging, according to experts, who agreed that the process will be complex and marked by external pressures seeking to tighten rules of origin.
During the XXIII International Congress of the Automotive Industry in Mexico (CIIAM) , Rogelio Garza, executive president of the Mexican Association of the Automotive Industry (AMIA) , warned that the review will not only bring technical negotiations, but also a political debate with the intention of toughening conditions and evaluating the impact of the growing Asian participation in the value chains.
“A complicated process is shaping up,” he stated, noting that the challenge will be maintaining a balance in regional integration in the face of external interests.
For his part, Francisco González, executive president of the National Auto Parts Industry (INA) , emphasized that Mexico cannot limit itself to assembling vehicles, but must increase the domestic content in the automobiles of the future. To achieve this, he said, it is necessary to integrate more small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) into the supply chain, especially at the second and third levels, and support them with financing, training, and quality certifications .
“Every additional point of regional content represents more jobs, more local innovation, and more attraction of foreign direct investment,” he said.
Along the same lines, Guillermo Rosales, executive president of the Mexican Association of Automobile Dealers (AMDA) , noted that Mexico’s competitiveness will not be defined solely by the treaty negotiations, but also by the internal conditions the country manages to guarantee.
He emphasized the need to maintain a level playing field with regional partners, with clear rules and a certain environment that allows dealers and distributors to continue promoting vehicle renewal. He warned that, as long as there is no regulatory certainty, investment and planning decisions will remain on hold.
Experts agreed that, in light of the USMCA review, the central challenge will be to strengthen regional competitiveness , recognizing that North American value chains are indivisible.
Under pressure from external actors and Asian competition, Mexico must strengthen its local supply chain and ensure internal conditions that consolidate it as a strategic partner in the region.
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