Overview
Advanced Manufacturing (AM) is positioned at the intersection of technology and automation. Companies implementing AM in their plants increase efficiency and build more robust and resilient supply chains. Mexico is among the world’s five largest importers of AM technology. This section includes Mexican trade statistics for robotics, sensors, and associated equipment. In 2022, there was a deficit of USD 24 billion for AM products in Mexico indicative of the country’s high dependence on imports. Mexican imports of AM products are growing annually by 6.28 percent. The United States has an approximate 47 percent share of Mexico’s market for sensors, robots, and associated equipment. It is expected that U.S. market share will surpass 50 percent in 2023.
Mexican orders for AM products with origin in the United States experienced an annual growth rate of eight percent in 2022. Boosting demand of AM products is the nearshoring trend in Mexico of foreign companies with complex technological processes and also the adoption of technological advances among small and medium-sized Mexican manufacturers that strive to stay ahead of the competition.
The following table reflects an estimate of market size in terms of U.S. market share. The percentage of Mexican imports translates to opportunities for U.S. manufacturers of AM. Total imports of AM-related equipment reached USD 37 billion in 2022, with the largest percentage involving imports of sensors.
Table: Mexico Advanced Manufacturing |
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(Figures in USD Billions) |
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2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023* |
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Total Exports |
9.62 |
10.07 |
9.63 |
11.07 |
12.99 |
14.46 |
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Total Imports |
28.80 |
30.55 |
26.27 |
30.80 |
37.07 |
37.44 |
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Imports from the U.S |
11.51 |
13.25 |
14.46 |
15.14 |
17.26 |
19.21 |
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Total U.S. Market Share |
40% |
43% |
55% |
49% |
47% |
51% |
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Exchange Rates |
19.23 |
19.26 |
20.00 |
20.28 |
20.12 |
18.40 |
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*2023 estimate of market growth of 1.8 percent, per IMF forecast |
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Source: INEGI, OTAI |
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Leading Sub-Sectors
Advanced Materials
In Mexico, advanced materials were initially developed and produced in low volumes by a few R&D centers. Mexico today has over 200 companies producing advanced materials at relatively high volumes. Producers of advanced materials are grouped in clusters in the State of Mexico and the Bajio region of central Mexico.
Nanotechnology is a critical component in the production of advanced materials in Mexico. With nanotechnology, Mexican designers create advanced materials that exhibit specific attributes, including lightness, porosity, strength, and capillarity. Lighter materials are in constant demand by the automotive and aerospace industries.
Advanced materials find applications in sectors including automotive, construction, filtration substrates, sensing materials, biotechnology, and aerospace. Advanced materials also include composites which have found applications in almost every field. Mexican consumers of composite materials are in the automotive, biomedical, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and other industries.
The figures included in the following section encompass HS8542, HS8543, HS9026, HS9031, and HS9032.
Automation and Mobile Robots
Mexican imports of industrial robots have increased four percent since 2017. Post pandemic figures show a marked increase in 2022, with a 23 percent increase in Mexican imports reaching USD 4.14 billion.
Although the United States is Mexico’s third-largest source for robots after Japan and Germany, Mexico’s imports of industrial robots from the United States reached USD 1.54 billion in 2022, a 16 percent increase compared to the previous year. Another trend gaining relevance as other industries are adopting these technologies in their entire supply chain is the use of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV) and Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR), included in HS8479.
Visual Factory
AM allows companies to “see” every step in their process through the digitalization of their factories. The visual factory concept involves the use of interconnected digital platforms currently in demand by Mexican manufacturers including Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS), Andon Systems, Wearable Technologies, and others. A fundamental part of this technology relies on a variety of sensing devices. Mexican imports of electronic sensing devices are growing by eight percent every year. In 2022, Mexico’s total imports of electronic sensing devices amounted to USD 32.9 billion. About 48 percent of Mexico’s total imports of electronic sensing devices originate in the United States, and imports have grown by 11 percent since 2017. Half of Mexico’s imports of sensing devices have their origin in China.
Simulation Software
Mexican manufacturers have adopted Digital Twin technology as a tool for increasing productivity through a simulated “real world” scenario of their production process. Purchases of this technology surged in 2021 and continue to increase.
Additive Manufacturing
Mexican manufacturers in automotive, aerospace, and medical devices sectors are buying raw materials for their additive manufacturing processes. Most common are metal powder and wire, including polymers. This industry has recently become relevant and is being studied and promoted by Mexico’s federal government through centers such as CONMAD in the state of Queretaro.
Resources
Siavi 5.0 Ministry of Economy
National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI)
Events
- Expo Manufactura 2024, January 30-February 2, 2024. Monterrey, Nuevo Leon
- Industrial Transformation Mexico (ITM), Poliforum, Oct 4-6, 2023. Leon, Guanajuato
Contacts
Mario Vidana
Commercial Specialist
U.S. Commercial Service —Monterrey
Tel.: +52 (81) 8047-3118