• NEASHORING: Despite the pandemic downturn, the Mexican western state of Jalisco is seeing growing signs of Asian firms relocating operations to the Guadalajara metro area stemming from US-China trade tensions and the new USMCA trade agreement, according to state officials.
• NUMBERS: Mostly concentrated in the tech sector, Jalisco officials say they expect that at least 12 projects from Asian companies landing in 2021. Amidst the pandemic, foreign direct investment in Jalisco is expected to grow almost 60 percent this year reaching at least US $2.5 billion.
• RELOCATION: “Many companies that are already located here in Jalisco are bringing production projects that they previously had in Asia. They are bringing them here to Guadalajara with the aim of targeting the US market”, said Sergio Ríos, a Jalisco state official in charge of investment promotion.
• GROWTH: Located close to the country’s largest Pacific Coast seaports, Jalisco was ranked sixth in 2019 among Mexican states receiving foreign direct investment. In April, Jalisco officials announced that Chinese telecom giant Huawei would expand its existing manufacturing facility in the state.
