Mexico must take advantage of nearshoring and overcome risk factors

Nearshoring is a growth opportunity for Mexico, however, various specialists point out that there are factors that can affect its development and that must be taken into account, mainly in terms of the infrastructure that will house the production lines of the companies that decide to relocate in the country, as well as logistics services and labor.

In this sense, Sergio Pérez, executive director of Newmark"s Strategic Business Intelligence, commented that in energy issues, although Mexico has better conditions than other locations, it could become a big problem.

?The electrical and energy issue, although it is an advantage for Mexico, taking into account the situation in Europe and the southern United States, is undoubtedly a bottleneck. Progress on energy substitution issues has slowed down, but very clear signs are beginning to be perceived, which means that the energy issue was fundamental at the trilateral summit," he said in a company statement.

For his part, during the Desayunando Logística event, organized by the #SoyLogístico Association, Antonio Arranz, CEO of DHL Express in Mexico, specified that "we have to solve what is urgent", that is, issues such as energy.

In addition, Sergio Pérez asserted that the vacancy (available surface) in the country"s industrial parks is less than 2%, so there are not enough industrial areas and a wave of development is coming, since "today the demand has exceeded the offer in a historical way?.

Government, ready for nearshoring?

Arranz commented that the six-year term of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is practically over, leaving logistics projects such as the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) and the Mayan Train, so a logistics plan must be sought with the candidates for the presidency.

?We have to tell them: if we really want to do nearshoring, we must have an infrastructure plan, there are many problems, but I think that one of the main problems, the number one focus that Mexico has to solve, is energy, if there is no energy nearshoring is coming," he said.

On the other hand, the Newmark manager stressed that any country in the world would like to be in Mexico"s position, since it is in the right place and at the right time, so it must take advantage of this unique opportunity.

"Mexico must take advantage of this unique opportunity, where everything is aligned to be a player in the world"s major leagues, an industrial power and, to the extent that risk factors can be optimized and made more flexible in the country, it will continue to come strongly national and foreign investment in this sector of our economy," he said.

Although the current six-year term of the federal government ends in 2024, it continues with strategies to attract more investment, for which reason López Obrador, together with Rocío Nahle, Secretary of Energy, signed the Decree for the Nationalization of Lithium, which has as one of its main objectives to attract investment from more electric car plants.