South Korean automaker Kia has announced a major investment of US $600 million in Nuevo León, underscoring the northern Mexican state’s growing importance as a hub for electric vehicle manufacturing and green industry.
The announcement came during a working visit to South Korea by Nuevo León Governor Samuel García, who met with Young Sam Kim, Executive Director of Kia Mexico. The investment will support new vehicle production lines, a solar park, a water treatment plant and additional sustainability projects.
Kia’s plant in Pesquería has been a cornerstone of its North American manufacturing strategy since it opened in 2016. The new funding would accelerate its pivot toward electric mobility, an area where automakers are under increasing pressure to demonstrate progress.
“Kia has been in Nuevo León for 10 years. If we add up the last 10 years, Kia has invested a total of US $3 billion,” Governor García said in a video message. “Another 600 million will be reflected in very good jobs, and very good cars.”
The investment is projected to generate at least 300 direct jobs in its initial phase, adding to the formal employment base that has made Nuevo León one of Mexico’s most dynamic industrial economies.
LLEGAMOS A COREA CON UN NOTICIÓN: KIA INVERTIRÁ 600 MILLONES DE DÓLARES EN NUEVO LEÓN ESTE AÑO
Arrancamos nuestro primer día de trabajo en Corea del Sur, donde mis compadres de @Kia_Worldwide y sus empresas afiliadas nos confirmaron esta nueva inversión destinada a impulsar… pic.twitter.com/CVTLuMSKoz
— Samuel García (@samuel_garcias) April 8, 2026
The deal reflects a broader push by the García administration to attract high-value foreign investment to the border state. The Kia announcement came on the heels of the governor’s Asia tour, which included meetings with Panasonic, Mitsubishi, Nissan and Yazaki in Japan. The governor also took the opportunity to hype up Monterrey as the best 2026 FIFA World Cup host city.
For Kia, the expansion deepens a relationship with a state that already hosts one of the company’s key North American manufacturing facilities, and signals confidence in Mexico’s long-term role in the global electric vehicle supply chain.
With reports from Quadratín and Cluster Industrial
