A wide range of Mexican products are shipped to the U.S., including cars, auto parts, electronics, fresh fruit and vegetables, oil and alcoholic beverages. (Juan José Estrada Serafín/Cuartoscuro)
The value of Mexico’s exports to the United States increased almost 6% annually in the first eight months of 2024 to reach a record high of more than US $334 billion.
The United States Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reported Tuesday that Mexico’s exports to its northern neighbor were worth $334.73 billion between January and August, a 5.8% increase compared to the same period of 2023.
Mexico’s exports to its northern neighbor were worth $334.73 billion between January and August, a 5.8% increase over the same period of 2023. (Lloyds)
A wide range of Mexican products are shipped to the U.S., including cars, auto parts, electronics, fresh fruit and vegetables, oil and alcoholic beverages.
Mexico’s share of the U.S. import market was a record 15.7% between January and August, an increase of 0.2 percentage points compared to the first eight months of 2023. Mexico’s share a decade ago was more than 3 points lower, at 12.6% in 2014.
In a speech in Monterrey on Tuesday, Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard highlighted that Mexico’s share of that market was almost 16%.
“In 1988 it was 5%, it’s multiplied by approximately three,” he told a business forum in the Nuevo León capital.
“The participation of China has declined. There is a great opportunity to grow in the participation in the market [for exports] to the United States,” Ebrard said.
China’s share of the U.S. import market declined to 13.1% in the first eight months of 2024 from 13.5% in the same period last year. Canada’s share fell to 12.9% from 13.6%.
Two-way trade also hit a record high
The U.S. data shows that the United States’ exports to Mexico were worth $225.07 billion between January and August, a 4.3% increase compared to the same period last year.
Auto parts constitute a substantial portion of two-way trade between the United States and Mexico.
Among the products the U.S. sends to Mexico are oil and gasoline, auto parts, meat and grains, including yellow corn used as livestock feed.
Two-way trade totaled $559.8 billion, a 5.2% increase compared to the first eight months of last year and a record for the period.
Trade between Mexico and the U.S. accounted for 16% of the United States’ total trade with countries worldwide.
The two countries are each other’s largest trade partner, and their economies have become increasingly integrated in the 30 years since the entry into force of NAFTA, which was superseded in 2020 by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA.
Mexico recorded a trade surplus of $109.65 billion with the U.S. between January and August.
A good August for Mexico, and the US
Mexico’s exports to the U.S. in August were worth a record-high $43.75 billion, an increase of 4.8% from the same month last year.
Imports from the U.S. also hit a record high in August, increasing 3.5% annually to $30.02 billion.
Trump threatened tariffs against Chinese auto companies like BYD, which plans to build a vehicle manufacturing plant in Mexico. The Chinese automaker has put those plans on hold until after the U.S. election, according to reporting by Bloomberg. (EEYAUT Waihung/Wikimedia Commons)
There is no shortage of issues for new Mexican leader President Claudia Sheinbaum to attend to: security, water and the economy, to name but a few. But a group of United States lawmakers contends that yet another pressing issue for Mexico’s 66th president is the “national security risks” associated with the capacity of Chinese “connected” vehicles to collect sensitive data.
In a letter dated Sept. 30, the day before Sheinbaum was sworn in as Mexico’s first female president, 21 Democratic Party representatives and senators wrote to the 62-year-old former Mexico City mayor to request that her government take steps to address challenges related to the sale and manufacture in Mexico of vehicles made by Chinese companies and those firms’ potential plans to use Mexico as a base to enter the U.S. market.
Before becoming a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Elissa Slotkin (D-Michigan), one of the letter’s lead signers, worked as an intelligence analyst for the CIA and as a Department of Defense official. She is currently running for the U.S. Senate. (Elissa Slotkin)
“As you prepare to take office, we ask that you quickly turn your attention to a new and growing issue: the national security risks to both our nations from the widespread presence of ‘connected’ vehicles built by companies with deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party [CCP],” said the letter, signed by lawmakers including Representative Elissa Slotkin and Senator Sherrod Brown.
The lawmakers said that “today’s vehicles — including those made by Chinese companies — are equipped with sophisticated sensors, powerful computers, and networking capabilities that allow these connected vehicles to gather, store and transmit large amounts of data about their occupants and their surroundings.”
“This includes 3D mapping, live-action video, and geolocation of individuals,” they added.
According to Reuters, the U.S. is concerned that China, “a strategic and economic rival as well as trading partner, could use data collected by connected vehicles for surveillance or, in extreme circumstances, remotely control them through the internet and navigation systems.”
The lawmakers noted that “Chinese automakers have made significant inroads in the Mexican market, more than tripling their share of Mexico’s market since the start of this decade,” and asserted that “the data from that fleet of vehicles [is] accessible to the Chinese Communist Party.”
“This growth has rightly raised significant concerns with us in Congress, and we believe that these Chinese companies, which receive huge state subsidies, are now seeking to use Mexico as a base to enter the U.S. market,” the representatives and senators said.
Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), the other lead signer of the letter, is seen as a progressive politician who has been a frequent critic of free trade. He led Democratic opposition to the Central American Free Trade Act (CAFTA) in 2005.
Among the other remarks included in the letter were that:
“China itself recognizes the sensitive capabilities of connected vehicles and has taken actions to restrict the operation of foreign vehicles in China accordingly.”
“The fact that Chinese companies, including automaker BYD, have announced plans for assembly plants in Mexico raises the potential for Chinese companies to attempt to circumvent these tariffs with production in Mexico.”
U.S. officials “are well aware of this potential and made clear that using Mexico in an effort to avoid U.S. tariffs could bring additional action by the United States.”
BYD, it should be noted, has said that the cars it intends to make in Mexico will be sold here and not exported to the United States or anywhere else.
Many politicians in the United States are not convinced that BYD and other Chinese automakers that have announced plans to open plants in Mexico won’t attempt to sell their vehicles in the lucrative U.S. market.
When asked in May why the United States government wasn’t preemptively announcing tariffs aimed at vehicles made by Chinese companies in Mexico, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said that measures aimed at such vehicles would “require a separate pathway.”
What exactly do the Democrat lawmakers want from the Sheinbaum administration?
Despite tariffs, “executive orders to counter national security threats” and “new legislative proposals” aimed at Chinese vehicles — including a proposal by U.S. President Joe Biden to ban Chinese software and hardware in connected vehicles on American roads — the U.S. lawmakers said that they remained “concerned that Chinese companies will seek to use production in Mexico in an effort to bypass these measures.”
The Democrats consequently asked Sheinbaum to take a number of steps to address the “challenges” posed by the presence of Chinese vehicles and automakers in Mexico.
In an interview during her campaign, when asked to choose between the U.S. and China as a trade partner, Sheinbaum seemed to prioritize the U.S. but did not dismiss the importance of China’s relationship with Mexico. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)
They asked Sheinbaum to “formalize” the policy of the government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, “outlined in media reports, of refusing to grant federal economic development incentives — such as tax incentives and reduced utility and land costs — to firms with ties to the Chinese Communist Party.”
The lawmakers also asked her to “urge Mexican states to follow suit.”
They requested that the new Mexican government establish “a national security review process to address risks posed by the manufacture or sale of vehicles built by Chinese firms to Mexico’s people, your national security, and the regional security of North American and Organization of American States nations.”
They asked Sheinbaum to send a delegation to meet with U.S. officials “by early 2025 to discuss how our nations can work together to address these risks.”
The letter concluded by emphasizing the importance of “a shared approach to Chinese vehicles and control of data collected therein.”
“This new challenge is complex and difficult, and is best met by working collaboratively,” the lawmakers said.
For its part, China, in late September, “urged the United States … to stop ‘unreasonable suppression’ of its companies, in response to U.S. proposals to ban Chinese software and hardware in vehicles on its roads due to national security concerns,” Reuters reported.
“The U.S. move has no factual basis, violates the principles of market economy and fair competition and is [adopting] a typical protectionist approach,” said a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce.
Sheinbaum: Mexico has a relationship with China, but Mexico and the US are ‘inseparable’
During the campaign period leading up to the presidential election in June, Sheinbaum was asked in an interview to choose between the United States and China from a trade viewpoint.
In response, Sheinbaum said that Mexico has an “inseparable” relationship with its northern neighbor.
Mexico and the U.S. — each other’s largest trade partner — are “economically integrated,” whereas “there is no free trade agreement with China,” Sheinbaum said
“… The relationship with China exists, and it has to continue existing, but the agreement with the U.S. has to be maintained and strengthened as well,” Sheinbaum said of the USMCA free trade pact, those third member is Canada.
Drum roll please… the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition has determined that the world’s best tequila is Don Fulano Fuerte (100 Proof Blanco).
Recognized as one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious spirits competitions, the SFWSC’s praise solidifies Don Fulano’s position as a top-tier tequila producer. The competition’s judges described the spirit as “an amazing and well-balanced tequila with agave and black pepper on the nose and palate followed by a burst of citrus and cinnamon on the finish.”
Don Fulano Fuerte is made from Maduro and Pinto agave plants. (Don Fulano Tequila/Facebook)
Don Fulano Fuerte is matured for at least six months in stainless steel tanks to allow the flavors to settle without developing any wood notes. It is made from Maduro and Pinto agave plants, proprietary yeast and natural spring volcanic water from the Tequila region in Jalisco. As it spends no time in contact with oak, it remains crystalline and colorless.
Founded by Sergio Mendoza and Enrique Fonseca in 2002, Don Fulano continues a five-generation family tradition.
“Everything about Don Fulano is rooted in its history,” Mendoza told Forbes in July.
According to Mendoza, Don Fulano is one of the last family-owned tequila brands with complete control over agave production. The tequila is estate-grown and bottled at the La Tequileña distillery, which is owned by the Fonsecas. The family also produces four other types of tequila.
The brand’s story can be traced back 140 years ago when the founder’s great-grandfather began cultivating agave in the highlands of Jalisco.
“The agave plant has always been central to Mexico and its history and of course, agave spirits were part of it,” Mendoza said. “Today, we very much do the same: farm agave and produce a product that reflects our land as closely as possible. Of course, we face many challenges as every farmer does, but we try hard to keep as close and as simple a connection with the source.”
Priced at $59.99, Don Fulano is an affordable bottle for any tequila enthusiast to enjoy.
The SFWSC medal is a universally recognized indicator of exceptional quality and craftsmanship. The accolade has raised the reputation of thousands of wine, beer and spirit brands and is a testament to the hard work of producers.
Four of the fishermen have been located, according to media reports and Yucatán Fishing Minister Lila Frías Castillo, but the other 11 remained missing as of Wednesday afternoon.
Of the 15 fishermen from Progreso who’ve been reported missing, only the crew of a medium-sized fishing vessel, “The Neldy,” have been found so far. (Internet)
The president of the Yucatán branch of the National Chamber of the Fishing Industry told Foro TV on Tuesday that four boats with 15 fishermen on board went missing.
“There hasn’t been any contact with them,” Enrique Sánchez said
He said that the fishermen were in “very dangerous seas,” but noted that they are “experienced seamen.”
“We hope that everything turns out well and they return home safe and sound,” Sánchez said.
The largest of the four boats, a vessel named “Neldy,” was located along with the four fishermen alive on board, according to media reports.
In a post to Facebook early on Wednesday, Frías said, “Fortunately, the crew of the vessel ‘Neldy’ have contacted their families.”
Some family members of the missing fishermen have posted videos pleading with the government to do more to find their loved ones. (Twitter)
“They are safe,” the official added.
“Neldy,” described by Sánchez as a “boat of medium height,” left Progreso, a Gulf of Mexico port city north of Mérida, last weekend.
The news website 24 Horas reported that it was located after an “intense search” conducted by other fishermen. The vessel is expected to return to Progreso Wednesday.
The three vessels that remain missing are small boats called lanchas, according to Sánchez. Search efforts have been hindered by poor weather and rough seas.
The fishermen were reportedly advised to come ashore due to the threat posed by Hurricane Milton — an extremely powerful Category 5 storm — but didn’t manage to reach land.
The hurricane’s wind and accompanying rain caused flooding and other damage on the Yucatán Peninsula, made up of the states of Campeche, Yucatán and Quintana Roo.
Federal Civil Protection authorities said Wednesday that the “entire” government of Mexico was providing assistance to affected residents.
Milton is now heading for the west coast of Florida, a state that is still recovering from Hurricane Helene. It is expected to make landfall there.
The United States National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Wednesday morning that Milton has maximum sustained winds of 230 km/h, making it a Category 4 storm on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale.
Yucatán Gov. Joaquín Díaz Mena tours the damage in Celestún, a fishing village on Yucatán’s coast.
“On the forecast track, the center of Milton will move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico today, make landfall along the west-central coast of Florida tonight, and move off the east coast of Florida over the western Atlantic Ocean on Thursday,” the NHC said.
“… Milton is expected to remain an extremely dangerous major hurricane when it reaches the west-central coast of Florida tonight,” it added.
CADERR, led by Mexican businesswoman Altagracia Gómez, seeks to advance nearshoring opportunities, develop industrial parks and promote infrastructure projects to support regional economic growth. (@inaoficialmx/X)
Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration will support initiatives to boost the automotive industry in Mexico, according to an announcement by Altagracia Gómez, head of the Business Advisory Council.
“In the past weeks and months, we have been working with 13 companies in Mexico to outline 10 goals together,” Gómez said during the 2024 International Conference of the Mexican Automotive Industry (CIIAM), organized by the National Auto Parts Industry (INA).
The 2024 International Conference of the Mexican Automotive Industry (CIIAM), organized by the National Auto Parts Industry (INA), took place Oct. 7-8 in Mexico City. (@inaoficialmx/X)
Gómez, who serves as an intermediary between the business sector and the government, said that these priorities are mainly focused on capacity building and supporting small and medium-sized businesses.
Some of the priorities include developing the local supply chain, elevating the quality of domestically sourced materials, financing for suppliers and technical education programs to help young people transition from school into the automotive workforce.
“We want the young people working for your company to be properly trained,” Gómez stressed.
Her goals also include creating more patents, transitioning to higher value-added manufacturing, digitalizing procedures and permits and seeking unspecified “changes” in trade policy, if needed.
Support for technical education programs to help young people transition from school into the automotive workforce is one of 10 government priorities for Mexico’s auto industry. (Volkswagen de México)
“We want to understand whether there are issues with trade policies, such as tariffs, or temporary imports of finished products,particularly regarding certain tariffs on both finished products and raw materials,” Gómez explained.
These priorities will inform public policies that aim to boost innovation within the sector and promote sustainable practices, energy efficiency and water reuse.
“We want to know the things that you’re doing; we want to know what we can replicate throughout the industry and what we should do to design a general policy of best practices,” Gómez said.
The last goal is to outline the government’s commitments to the industry to “align interests.”
“We know that the government can’t solve everything,” Gómez said, “but it is important to understand our role as well as other participating parties’ roles.”
For Gómez, these 10 goals are “commendable” and seek a “long term vision for the country.” She stressed that the goal is to achieve “shared prosperity,” where businesses, government and society all contribute.
The Mexican automotive industry is a thriving sector, with exports accounting for almost one-third of total export revenue so far in 2024. According to official data, more than 300,000 light vehicles were manufactured in Mexico in July, a 2.7% increase compared to the same month of 2023 and the highest total for July in seven years.
Headline inflation in Mexico declined for a second consecutive month in September, beating analysts' expectations to come in at an annual rate of 4.58%. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)
Headline inflation in Mexico declined for a second consecutive month in September, beating analysts’ expectations to come in at an annual rate of 4.58%.
Inflation in September was at its lowest rate since a 4.42% reading in March. (Elizabeth Ruíz/Cuartoscuro)
The rate — the lowest since a 4.42% reading in March — was just below the 4.62% consensus forecast of analysts surveyed by Citibanamex and the 4.61% prediction of analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.
INEGI said that the National Consumer Price Index ticked up 0.05% in September compared to August.
The annual core inflation rate, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, fell for a 20th consecutive month to reach 3.91% in September.
Although the headline rate remains above the Bank of Mexico’s target of 3% inflation give or take 1 percentage point, the decline for a second successive month increases the probability that the central bank’s benchmark interest rate will be lowered for a fourth time this year in November.
Alfredo Coutiño, head of Latin America Economic Research at Moody Analytics, said on X that the inflation rate in Mexico’s “patriotic month brought happiness to the Bank of Mexico” and provided “euphoria,” or impetus, for another cut to the central bank’s key interest rate after its monetary policy meeting on Nov. 14.
He predicted that “at least four of five” Bank of Mexico board members will vote in favor of an interest rate cut in November.
The central bank’s key interest rate is currently set at 10.50% after cuts of 25 basis points in March, August and September.
September inflation data in detail
INEGI data shows that fruit and vegetables were 7.65% more expensive in September than a year earlier. While inflation for those products is still high, it has declined rapidly in the past two months after exceeding 23% in July.
Inflation for fruit and vegetables declined rapidly in the past two months after exceeding 23% in July. (Andrea Murcia/Cuartoscuro)
Annual inflation for meat in September was 5.14%, while processed food, beverages and tobacco were 3.92% more expensive than in the same month of 2023.
Inflation for non-food goods was 1.69%, services were 5.10% more expensive and energy prices, including those for fuel and electricity, rose 6.01% compared to September 2023.
Other need-to-know economic data
The USD:MXN exchange rate was 19.40 shortly after 9:30 a.m. Mexico City time on Wednesday.
When it comes to succulent steak tacos, look no further than the criminally underrated suadero. (Canva)
When it comes to the mighty suadero taco, underrated is an over statement. Slow cooked in pork fat, the tender texture reminds me of a falling apart brisket. Often overshadowed by more popular options like carnitas, al pastor, or barbacoa, it’s time for suadero to get some shine. A cut from in between the belly and leg of the cow, when slow-cooked or braised, it transforms, like a beefy butterfly, into a melt-in-your-mouth explosion of goodness.
What makes suadero especially unique is its subtle, complex taste. It’s less robust than barbacoa and not as heavily seasoned as al pastor, allowing the natural richness of the beef to come through. The soft texture contrasts beautifully with a crispy tortilla and a roasted salsa. Suadero’s flavor profile pairs wonderfully with fresh garnishes like cilantro, onions and a squeeze of lime, which bring brightness and balance to the richness of the meat.
Suadero comes from between the legs and the belly of a cow, and makes for a soft yet tasty steak. (Ruta de la Garnacha)
Though not always the star of the menu, suadero tacos provide an unforgettable taco experience for those who seek depth of flavor without overpowering seasonings. Its tenderness, coupled with simple seasonings like salt and pepper, make it a hidden gem in the world of tacos. Below the suadero recipe, watchout for the roasted salsa recipe I used this time. Dried chilis that I rehydrated, roasted tomatoes and onions, a simple yet satisfying punctuation mark for this love letter to suadero.
Slow Cooker Suadero
Ingredients:
2 lbs suadero beef (brisket, flank, or chuck)
½ cup pork fat
Salt (to taste)
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
Prepare the beef: Make cross cuts into the suadero
Set up the slow cooker: Add the pork fat around and let it melt. Place the suadero beef into the slow cooker.
Cook on high: Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or until it easily pulls apart with a fork.
Season and shred: Once the meat is fully cooked and tender, carefully remove it from the slow cooker. Generously season the beef with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Shred or chop the meat into small sized pieces. After shredding, check again that the meat is properly seasoned.
Optional crisping step: If you like a little texture, heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add a bit of the pork fat from the slow cooker. Crisp the shredded suadero in the hot fat for 2–3 minutes until slightly golden.
Serve: Serve the suadero with warm tortillas and your roasted salsa.
Roasted Tomato and Chili Salsa
No taco is complete without fresh, home-made salsa. (Canva)
Ingredients
3 medium tomatoes, quartered
1 large white onion, quartered
3 dried ancho chilis
4 dried árbol chilis (adjust for desired heat)
2 garlic cloves, peeled
½ tsp salt (adjust to taste)
1 tbsp lime juice (optional)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
Rehydrate the chilis: Remove the stems and seeds from the ancho and árbol chilis. Place them in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let them soak for about 15-20 minutes, or until softened. Once rehydrated, drain the chilis and set them aside.
Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 425 F (220 C).
Prepare the vegetables for roasting: Place the tomatoes, onion and garlic cloves on a baking sheet. Drizzle the vegetables with vegetable oil, ensuring they are lightly coated. Spread them out in a single layer on the baking sheet.
Roast the vegetables: Roast the tomatoes, onion and garlic in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the tomatoes have blistered and charred, and the onions are soft and browned around the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
Blend the salsa: In a blender or food processor, add the rehydrated ancho and árbol chilis, roasted tomatoes, onions and garlic. Blend until smooth. If the salsa is too thick, add a tablespoon or two of the chili soaking water to adjust the consistency.
Season: Add salt to taste and juice of one lime. Blend again to combine.
StephenRandall has lived in Mexico since 2018 by way of Kentucky, and before that, Germany. He’s an enthusiastic amateur chef who takes inspiration from many different cuisines, with favorites including Mexican and Mediterranean. His recipes can also be found on YouTube.
Navegating a new school is always tough. Navegating a new culture at the same time makes it even tougher, psychologist Jenna Mayhew explains. (Jeswin Thomas/Unsplash)
Jenna Mayhew has been working as a psychologist in Mexico for eight years. At her practice, Hola Therapy, she has made it her mission to help foreigners living in Mexico, Mexicans with a foreign partner, foreigners with links to Mexico and Mexicans with links to foreigners or foreign countries.
Jenna answers MND readers’ questions on the pressing issues of relationships, mental health and navigating changes that come with relocating to and living in Mexico.
Psychologist Jenna Mayhew is here to answer reader questions. (Hola Therapy)
Dear Jenna,
I’m a 12-year-old guy from England. My mum is Spanish and we’re both bilingual. We moved to Mexico two years ago because of her job and now I go to a British international school in Monterrey. At school, the kids are divided into groups based on whether they speak Spanish or English.
It used to be easier to mix with both groups, but lately it feels like I have to choose one side or people think I’m being disloyal. Last week, someone from my main group of English-speaking friends told me that if I kept talking to my friends in the Spanish group, she and everyone else would stop talking to me. I’m stuck because I don’t want to only hang out with English speakers, but I also don’t want to lose my main friends. What should I do?
– Bilingual Student
International schools can have a very different social makeup to Mexico state schools. (José Vargas/Cuartoscuro)
Dear Bilingual Student,
School teaches us a lot, but one of the toughest lessons is how to navigate relationships. This is especially challenging in an international school, where you’re surrounded by many cultures and expectations. Of all the ugly ‘isms’ like racism, sexism, ableism and classism, school has its own ‘ism’: groupism. Although this kind of group exclusion might seem to diminish after graduation, it tends to pop up throughout life. We could argue it’s actually the master of all the ‘isms’. The silver lining? School can teach you about the kind of friends you want to have and the kind of friend you want to be and gives you lots of opportunities to practice this.
I understand that you’re worried about losing your friends if you continue to interact with your Spanish-speaking friends. That’s a tough spot to be in. But here’s the key point: no friend should dictate who you can or cannot be friends with. True friends don’t force you to choose between them and someone else. They don’t isolate or threaten you. They don’t push you to abandon your values.
We could easily argue that excluding people based on their native language is morally wrong. I wouldn’t disagree. However, standing up for yourself now is about more far than just doing the right thing. It’s also about how you allow others to treat you and how you respect yourself. This is your chance to practise making decisions based on your own values, not someone else’s expectations. Think of this skill as a muscle — you have to work it out in order for it to grow and become strong. Developing this ‘muscle’ of self respect now will positively impact your life in countless ways.
Yes, you might face some tough consequences, like losing friends. But by sticking to your values and sticking up for yourself, you’ll ultimately gain far more. So stand tall, speak to whomever you wish and if any friends choose to leave over it, then good riddance. Consider it a step towards finding new, more supportive friends. Good luck, and remember, better connections await you.
Jenna Mayhew is an Australian psychologist based in Mexico, with over 20 years of experience in Australia, England and Mexico. She is the founder of Hola Therapy, a bilingual practice dedicated to supporting the immigrant and cross-cultural communities in Mexico and provides therapy in-person and online across Mexico and worldwide. Jenna’s work combines her extensive expertise with a deep commitment to addressing the unique challenges faced by individuals in diverse cultural settings.
Benjamin Ting, senior vice president at Foxconn, announced plans to build the Guadalajara plant at Foxconn's annual technology day. (Screen capture)
Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Foxconn announced Tuesday that it will build a huge factory in Guadalajara, Jalisco, where it will assemble “superchips” for U.S. technology company Nvidia.
Senior Foxconn executives revealed the plan at the company’s annual tech day in Taipei but didn’t disclose some key details such as the amount being invested in the facility or when it will open.
Foxconn’s “superchip” assembly plant in Guadalajara will assemble chips for U.S. technology giant Nvidia. (Shutterstock)
“We’re building the largest GB200 [superchip] production facility on the planet,” said Benjamin Ting, a Foxconn senior vice president.
Foxconn chairman Young Liu told reporters, customers and partners that there is “crazy” demand for the Blackwell platform.
Similarly, Ting said that demand is “awfully huge.”
According to Reuters, the senior vice president described the partnership between Foxconn — the world’s largest contract electronics manufacturer — and Nvidia as very important.
Financial Times reported that Nvidia’s vice president for AI and robotics, Deepu Talla, also attended the Foxconn event in Taipei but said he “gave few details of the 450m-long plant” in Mexico.
The Guadalajara announcement by Foxconn Tuesday is yet another example of technology supply chains turning away from China. (Foxconn)
Liu said that the plant is being built in Guadalajara and asserted that its capacity would be “very, very enormous.”
He did not provide further details, Reuters said.
Financial Times said that the construction of “the world’s largest factory” for GB200 superchips is “a stark illustration of how global technology supply chains are decoupling from China,” although the newspaper noted that Foxconn maintains “several massive factory complexes in China, including the world’s largest iPhone plant.”
Mexico is aiming to capitalize on that decoupling, and many companies seeking to shorten their supply chains to the United States market and take advantage of Mexico’s free trade agreement with the world’s largest economy have recently established a presence here or announced their intention to do so.
One sector the federal government hopes will grow significantly in Mexico in the coming years is the semiconductor industry.
And earlier this year, the U.S. said it would partner with Mexico in another semiconductor initiative whose ultimate aim is to strengthen and grow the Mexican semiconductor industry.
Foxconn also has plans to increase capacity at the Óscar Flores Plant in Ciudad Juárez to produce artificial intelligence servers. (Foxconn Industrial Internet – Planta Oscar Flores/LinkedIn)
According to Reuters, Liu said Tuesday that Foxconn’s supply chain was ready for the AI revolution.
The news agency said that the company’s “other focus is ambitious plans to diversify away from its role of building consumer electronics for Apple, hoping to use its tech know-how to offer EV contract manufacturing and also produce vehicles using models built by [the] Foxtron brand.”
The two officials, Mayor Octavio Bastidias Majarrez and Mayor-elect of Mazatlán Estrella Palacios Domínguez, were both traveling on federal highway 15D when they were robbed. (Facebook and X)
Two public officials in the state of Sinaloa — including the mayor-elect of Mazatlán, Estrella Palacios Domínguez — were attacked and robbed by armed men while traveling Monday on the Mazatlán-Culiacán highway.
Palacios and San Ignacio Mayor Octavio Bastidas Manjarrez were both unharmed, but the separate robbery incidents marked the latest in a string of violent crimes along the state’s roadways, signaling escalating insecurity in Sinaloa.
Palacios and a group of aides were left on the side of the road after armed individuals forced them to abandon their Chevy Tahoe SUV. (@michelleriveraa/X)
Palacios, who is scheduled to be sworn in on Nov. 1, was robbed near the Costa Rica toll booth, approximately 72 kilometers south of Culiacán, while en route to a meeting with state officials. Armed men in a red pickup truck forced her and her companions out of their vehicle, stealing her 2021 Tahoe before fleeing.
Hours earlier, Bastidas was similarly robbed of his truck while passing through the municipality of Elota, a known hotspot for such attacks.
Both robberies occurred in broad daylight on Carretera Federal 15-D — a major highway from the U.S.-Mexico border to Mexico City that many people take to get to Mazatlán.
The incidents reflect a broader surge in violence across the state, which has been battling insecurity for weeks.
On the same day as the attacks on Palacios and Bastidas, Sinaloa recorded three homicides, adding to the state’s grim total of 159 deaths in just 28 days.
The Sinaloa resort city of Mazatlán has seen a dip by half in hotel occupancy and noticeable reductions in other tourism-related sales as the state’s wave of cartel-fueled violence continues. (File photo/Adolfo Vladimir for Cuartoscuro)
Guzmán’s father is Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera — the other cofounder of the Sinaloa Cartel who is currently serving a life sentence in U.S. prison.
Sinaloa Cartel factions loyal to Zambada (known as “Los Mayos”) are reportedly at odds with those loyal to El Chapo and his sons (known collectively as “Los Chapitos”).
Along the same highway, a truck driver narrowly escaped a robbery attempt by evading gunmen, though his vehicle overturned in the process.
And elsewhere in Sinaloa, two charred bodies were found in the municipality of Eldorado, and confrontations between the National Guard and armed civilians have become increasingly common.
The violence has taken a toll on Sinaloa’s economy, particularly in tourist destinations like Mazatlán.
The Mazatlán tourism sector has reported significant financial losses, with hotel occupancy plummeting to 40% last weekend, compared to 85% around Mexico’s Independence Day in mid-September.
Stores and restaurants have been forced to reduce hours, and the temporary closure of at least five businesses has been recorded. Roadside sales aimed at travelers have suffered, as have other tourism-related industries — such as taxicabs and beach activities.
Nautical tourism services have reported an 80% drop in customers for banana boats, catamaran and parasailing.
“Weekends are good for sales, but the last few have been very empty,” said Alfredo Figueroa, leader of Ecotaxis Rojos de Mazatlán. “We hope that the situation will improve soon so that people can feel confident about going out on the road.”
The violence appears to have been triggered by the arrest in the U.S. of alleged Sinaloa Cartel cofounder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, seen here, sparking a struggle for power between rival factions. (Government of Mexico)
Culiacán, in central Sinaloa, is 220 kilometers from Mazatlán in the southwest corner of the Pacific Coast state.
President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that her security cabinet was set to visit Sinaloa on Tuesday to assess the situation and collaborate with local authorities, including Governor Rubén Rocha Moya.
Federal officials have emphasized the need for coordinated efforts to restore order, though they acknowledge that solving the problem will take time.
