Tuesday, August 19, 2025

Sheinbaum administration outlines 10 priorities for Mexico’s auto industry

By
MND Staff
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Altagracia Gómez, the president's business advisor, is mainly focused on capacity building and supporting small and medium-sized businesses within the sector. “We want the young people working for your company to be properly trained,” Gómez stressed. 
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.
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. 

Volkswagen factory workers in Puebla, Mexico assembling a white car frame on an assembly line
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.

With reports from Imagen Radio

Inflation continues decline in September, surpassing analysts’ expectations

By
MND Staff
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People buying fish at a market
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%.

The national statistics agency INEGI reported on Wednesday that the annual headline rate declined from a 4.99% reading in August.

People shopping at a Mexican supermarket
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.

People buying fruits and vegetables in a market in Mexico
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.
  • Mexico’s economy grew 1.5% annually in the first six months of 2024.
  • The bank BBVA is currently forecasting that the Mexican economy will grow 1.2% this year and 1% in 2025.
  • Mexico’s unemployment rate was 3% in August, the highest level in a year.
  • The value of Mexico’s exports to the United States increased 5.8% in the first eight months of the year to reach a record high of US $334.7 billion.

With reports from El Financiero, El Economista and Bloomberg

Move over brisket, suadero is Mexico’s best-kept secret!

By
Stephen Randall
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Suadero tacos
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:

  1. Prepare the beef: Make cross cuts into the suadero
  2. Set up the slow cooker: Add the pork fat around and let it melt. Place the suadero beef into the slow cooker.
  3. Cook on high: Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or until it easily pulls apart with a fork.
  4. 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.
  5. 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. 
  6. Serve: Serve the suadero with warm tortillas and your roasted salsa.

Roasted Tomato and Chili 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.

Stephen Randall 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.

Therapy talk: Jenna on how to fit into your new Mexican school

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Jenna Mayhew - Hola Therapy
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How can I fit into my new school in Mexico
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.

Jenna Mayhew
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 

School in Tijuana, Mexico
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.

Foxconn says it will build huge Nvidia ‘superchip’ plant in Guadalajara

By
MND Staff
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Benjamin Ting, senior vice president at Foxconn on a stage giving a speech wearing a headset microphone.
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.

Microchips sitting in front of Nvidia logo
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.

Nvidia’s GB200 superchips are a key component of the California-based company’s next-generation Blackwell computing platform.

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.

Chinese workers at a Foxconn electronics factory in white lab coats and white caps looking intently at their work. In the foreground is a sign saying Foxconn
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.

Representatives from 20 Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturers, including Foxconn, visited Mexico in June 2023 to evaluate the country’s investment potential. Also, a year ago, Mexico and the United States launched a joint “semiconductor action plan” that aims to make North America the world’s “most powerful” chip-producing region.

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’s announcement on Tuesday came less than two months after the company said it would invest US $241.2 million in Chihuahua to increase its capacity to manufacture artificial intelligence servers.

Reuters reported that Foxconn, which has a plant in the border city of Ciudad Juárez, has already invested $500 million in Chihuahua.

Last year, Foxconn and the government of Chihuahua announced they had formed a “strategic partnership,” which they said would “contribute to the prosperity” of the northern border state and its residents.

The Oscar Flores manufacturing plant in Chihuahua, where Foxconn manufactures AI servers.
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.”

In Mexico, the electric vehicle sector is growing, and the pace of growth looks set to accelerate given that Chinese automaker BYD, the world’s largest EV manufacturer, is planning to open a plant here.

With reports from Reuters and Financial Times

2 Sinaloa officials robbed on Mazatlán-Culiacán highway

By
MND Staff
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Split-screen image of the two officials who were robbed on the Highway 15D in Sinaloa, both taken from social media posts
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.

A pickup truck on a two lane highway in Sinaloa driving past a small group of people walking on the side of the road.
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 surge of lawlessness has been linked to a power struggle following the U.S. arrests of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, a cofounder of the Sinaloa Cartel, and Joaquín Guzmán López, the man who allegedly orchestrated Zambada’s capture.

Man in a T-shirt with an image of an eclipse walks on Mazatlan's fairly empty malencón boardwalk by the ocean.
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”).

The violence — which started in and around the capital of Culiacán, a Sinaloa Cartel stronghold — has not been limited to political figures.

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.”

Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada mugshot
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.

With reports from El Universal, El Financiero, El Sol de Mazatlán, Excélsior, Milenio and López Dóriga Digital

Mexico City caps Airbnb rentals at 180 days to curb gentrification

By
MND Staff
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Airbnb logo
Opposing legislators voted against the reform, arguing that it violates the individual freedom and rights of property owners. (Shutterstock)

Mexico City’s Congress approved a reform to the Tourism and Housing Law imposing limits on real estate rentals through apps and online platforms such as Airbnb.

The reform is part of several recent initiatives to promote balance in the temporary rental market, curb gentrification and support the hotel industry in the capital.

Martí Batres, current director of the State Workers' Social Security Institute (ISSSTE)
The initiative, presented by interim mayor Martí Batres — and current director of the State Workers’ Social Security Institute (ISSSTE) — also prohibits government-built social housing from being rented to tourists via online rental platforms. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)

The initiative, presented by interim mayor Martí Batres a few weeks before his term ended on Oct. 5, establishes a 180-day-per-year limit on online vacation rentals, including Airbnb. It also prohibits government-built social housing from being rented to tourists via online rental platforms.

Opposing legislators voted against the reform, arguing that it violates the individual freedom and rights of property owners, according to Bloomberg.

Deputy César Emilio Guijosa, a member of the ruling party Morena, defended the measure arguing that the growth of digital tourism has generated problems such as gentrification, as some neighborhoods have seen real estate prices rise upon becoming saturated by housing destined exclusively for tourists.

Morena insists the transformation — largely caused by the post-pandemic increase in “digital nomads” — has negatively affected capital residents and unfairly impacted the traditional hotel industry.

By limiting the occupancy of properties to 50% annually, Guijosa said the reform will help mitigate these externalities and regulate the temporary rental market by balancing the competition between temporary accommodations and traditional hotels. 

National Action Party (PAN) lawmakers criticized the reform, insisting that it violates the freedom of owners over the use of their property and might encourage a black market for unregulated rentals. 

They also pointed out that the law does not clarify how compliance will be verified in one-room lodgings, where applying the 50% rule is likely to be more complicated.

This reform comes six months after another Batres proposal that requires national or foreign hosts to register in a Registry of Technological Platforms, listing the properties they make available to tourists for residential use.

Now a law, the April reform also requires hosts to submit two reports per year specifying property occupancy, with removal from the registry as a penalty for supplying false information. In September, the city congress established fines of up to 21,000 pesos (US $1,120) for violating registry rules.

With reports from El Economista, El País, Bloomberg News and Excelsior

Makino invests US $21M in Querétaro tech innovation center

By
MND Staff
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10 people in suits posing for a photo for a photo holding shovels while standing under two bucket loaders whose cranes are bent into something resembling a heart shape.
Querétaro Gov. Mauricio Kuri, center, attended the groundbreaking ceremony on Sept. 30 for the new technology innovation center to be built by the Makino corporation. (Mauricio Kuri/Facebook)

Makino, one of the world’s leading companies in advanced manufacturing technology, has broken ground on a new tech innovation center in Querétaro. 

“The talent and capacity of the people of Querétaro continue to attract key investments for technological development!” Governor Mauricio Kuri wrote on Sept. 30 on his official X account after leading an inauguration ceremony earlier that day. 

Six business people standing in a semicircle while one of the persons gestures over a model of a planned Makino tech innovation center made out of wood and set behind glass.
Kuri, second from left, listens as details of the Makino company’s planned tech innovation center are explained to him. (Mauricio Kuri/Facebook)

With an investment of 400 million pesos (US $21 million), the new plant will supply production machinery to the automotive, medical, and aerospace industries, the tractor-trailer manufacturing sector, and the household goods and electronics manufacturers. The plant is expected to start operations next year, creating over 200 jobs in the state. 

Once the plant begins operations, the company expects engineering projects to be conducted for five machining centers within the first year, each with a capacity of 20 to 25 machines integrated with advanced engineering systems and robots. 

The facility will have LEED Gold certification (signaling a project’s comprehensive adoption of best sustainability practices). It will harness sunlight, rain and wind and will have thermally insulated walls.

Head of Makino México, Eduardo Medrano, told El Economista magazine that they believe this project will spearhead engineering services in Mexico and will establish the center as a benchmark in the production of complete manufacturing solutions.

“We manufacture machinery in Japan, Singapore, and China. Makino wants Mexico to create engineering projects to use this machinery technology, generate it with inventiveness, and use Mexican creativity to assemble it with automation,” Medrano said, stressing that it will be an “iconic” project for the state and for the North American region in general.

Makino, Inc. CEO Peter Hoecklin explained that the company’s decision to expand in Mexico results from an exhaustive analysis of global opportunities. Mexico offers competitive costs, a young population, an open economy, and a privileged location, Medrano said.. 

Meanwhile, Makino’s global president, Shotaro Miyazaki, stressed that Mexico is key to the company’s strategy in emerging markets, with Querétaro standing out for its infrastructure, education, and highly qualified workforce.

Makino’s investment joins the one recently announced by tech giant Microsoft in the state. In May, the company inaugurated Microsoft’s first Hyperscale Cloud Data Center Region of its kind in Spanish-speaking Latin America. 

Querétaro will also be the site of an investment of over $5 billion by Amazon Web Services in a cluster of data centers, which was announced in February.

With reports from El Economista and Líder Empresarial

1 dead in Campeche following Hurricane Milton; Yucatán remains on alert

By
MND Staff
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Some fishing boats off the coast of Campeche sunk due to the storm surge from Hurricane Milton on Monday.
Some fishing boats off the coast of Campeche sunk due to the storm surge from Hurricane Milton on Monday. (Michael Balam/Cuartoscuro)

Authorities in Campeche reported one death following the passage of Hurricane Milton, which grazed the northwestern Yucatán Peninsula as a Category 5 storm on Monday. 

After intensifying rapidly from a Category 3 to a Category 5 hurricane, Milton dumped considerable rain on Campeche city and caused flooding as far inland as Mérida, the capital of Yucatán.

At midnight on Monday, Milton was roughly 100 kilometers north of Mérida but advanced northeast before being downgraded to a Category 4 hurricane. 

Civil Protection authorities in Yucatán urged residents to not let their guard down, warning that even though the hurricane had weakened slightly, its volatility suggested it could strengthen again. 

Yucatán Governor Joaquín Díaz reported that thousands of residents in several eastern Yucatán cities had sought refuge in shelters on Monday. A hurricane warning remains in effect for Celestún to Rio Lagartos, Yucatán; the area from Rio Lagartos to Cabo Catoche is under a hurricane watch. 

Officials exhorted the public to obey official warnings as authorities sought to restore electricity in places where power had been knocked out by the storm. Meanwhile, schools remain closed in Campeche, Yucatán and Quintana Roo, and inland archaeological sites such as Chichén Itzá are closed until further notice. 

At 8:20 a.m. on Tuesday, Conagua reported that Hurricane Milton was still drenching the Yucatán Peninsula with intense rain and whipping the northern coast with 180-200 km/h winds while producing dangerous six to eight-meter-high waves. 

Conagua also warned about waterspouts off the northern coast of Quintana Roo on the eastern side of the peninsula.

Milton is expected to continue its path northeast toward Florida, where it is expected to make landfall near Tampa Bay before midnight Wednesday. Florida authorities have issued an evacuation order in the face of what is being called a “once-in-a-century” storm.

With reports from La Jornada, Forbes México and Reforma

Construction on Mexico City-Pachuca passenger train begins

By
MND Staff
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Mexico's President Sheinbaum and members of her cabinet standing in front of a finished wooden table holding up government paperwork related to the Mexico City-Pachucha passenger train inside portfolio booklets.
President Sheinbaum, center, and members of her cabinet were in Tizayuca, Hidalgo, on Sunday to inaugurate construction on the Mexico City-Pachuca train. It's expected to begin operation in 2027. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum was in Hidalgo this weekend to ceremonially inaugurate construction on the planned Mexico City-Pachuca passenger train. 

Located about 106 kilometers north of Mexico City, Pachuca is a city in central Mexico and the state capital of Hidalgo. The passenger rail service would connect three states and include a stop at the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) in México state.

Two horizontal rows of military engineers wearing hard hats and standing at attention, holding shovels in front of them at the location of the planned Mexico City-Pachuca commuter train. Each row of engineers stands in front of a set of railroad tracks.
The project is just one part of the government’s bigger plans to bring passenger rail service back to Mexico, which hasn’t been available for years. (Presidencia)

The train will depart from Buenavista, north of Mexico City, and will stop at AIFA, Huitzila, Téllez and Pachuca. It will be electric with double electrified tracks along all 106 kilometers of the route. 

The AIFA-Pachuca route, like Buenavista-AIFA, will require new tracks to be laid. 

With an estimated speed of 120 kilometers per hour and a capacity of 718 passengers per train, the journey between AIFA and Pachuca will take only 20 minutes, half the time it currently takes by car. 

Environment Minister Alicia Bárcena said that the project will include green walkways. Air, soil and water quality near the route will also be monitored as part of efforts to make the train an ecologically sustainable travel option, she said. 

The commuter railway line seeks to improve access to AIFA while facilitating connectivity for commuters between Mexico City and Pachuca. It is expected to benefit the inhabitants of Zumpango, Tecámac, Nextlalpan, Temascalapa — all municipalities in México state — and Tizayuca, Zapotlán, Zempoala, Villa de Tezontepec, Jaltocán and Pachuca, all located in Hidalgo.

Preliminary studies by the Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation Ministry (SICT) show the commuter train will require an initial investment of 50 billion pesos (US $2.5 billion). As with the Maya Train, the Defense Ministry (Sedena) will be responsible for the project.

Sheinbaum said during the inauguration that she will soon be in the state of Querétaro to inaugurate construction on other commuter train routes. The goal, she said, is to create passenger train routes that extend to the border city of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas.

During her presidential campaign, Sheinbaum unveiled plans to build three new train routes based on the model of the Maya Train. In addition to the Mexico City–Pachuca line, plans include a train to connect Mexico City with Nuevo Laredo and Mexico City with Guadalajara.

Her plans also include the expansion of the Maya Train and the Interoceanic to Guatemala.

Sheinbaum’s plan builds on former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s commitment to revive the use of passenger trains across the country. In the past, the Mexican government eliminated passenger train service, but now it is seeking to revitalize it as a viable option to improve mobility.

With reports from El Universal Hidalgo, Infobae and La Jornada.

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