Monterey, NL. In states like Lower California Investments have been paused, because many companies do not want to arrive until they are assured that the plants use clean energy, to reduce the carbon footprint and be responsible with the environment, he said Luis Manuel Hernandez Gonzalezpresident of National Council of the Maquiladora and Export Manufacturing Industry (Index) national.
“We have states like Baja California, where the energy no longer resists, you can put a ship but you have to run it (energy) with diesel; but for systems carbon footprint and social responsability many companies do not want to arrive until they are assured that it is renewable energy”, emphasized Hernández González.
In addition, he said, there are other issues such as Waterthe natural gas, which must be added. Each state has its themes and its vocation, “that is why we have to be selective and see what type of investment comes. Mexico has been responsible, (…) there are investments that need a lot of water and are not convenient for the states”.
In Baja California, three electronics companies paused their investment, however, there is no count at the national level, what has been observed in the sector is an organic growth of the maquiladoras, “but we do see that in a year they will begin to give (investments)”, estimated the president of National Indexduring the protest of Javier Gonzalez Caballeroas president of local Index.
Challenges for Nuevo Leon
In the case of Nuevo León, the factors that could affect the arrival of investment are energy and water, González Caballero mentioned.
“The energy issue has generated doubt, especially because of the message of instability that is being sent, there is a reform and then a counter-reform, companies never have reservations about facing an (adverse) scenario; the problem is when there is no consistent regulatory framework”.
“For our companies, they are investments of 5 to 20 years, seeing that it is so changing (the energy issue), the doubt it generates, is that it can be transferred to other regulations, which have, for example, a greater customs impact. So the message that is sent with that hits the big energy consumers very hard”, stressed the president of Index Nuevo Leon.
In relation to the scarcity of water in Nuevo León, the companies affiliated with Index seek to optimize consumption in paints, prints, where water is required, “many of the efforts that have been made are with water treatment plants, to be able to be recycling and having a reduction in consumption, creating programs to raise awareness in internal management, we have dry urinal areas, he explained.
The strategy that most of these companies are adopting could be to restrict the supply at some time, and have reserves, “we are looking for a plan B, in storage, but above all how to reduce consumption,” he deepened.
At the beginning of this year there are 673 manufacturing companies in the entity with the IMMEX programwith more than 333,000 formal jobs, and exports amounted to 45,473 million dollars, that is, 20.29% compared to 2020.