Mexico. The National Auto Parts Industry (INA) announced at a press conference that it is expected to set a new record in employment for the sector at the end of 2023, with a forecast of 891 thousand people, surpassing the figure of 2018 where 886,000 workers were registered in Mexico.
The Association stressed that the country has the strategic advantage of having qualified human capital to meet the demand for plants and assembly plants, since the number of graduates in engineering and technical careers in the country, during the period from 2021 to 2022 was around 124,000 people, representing 15% of the country's total.
In addition, the INA explained that each state of the republic has a specific relevance to contribute to the industry, giving as an example Nuevo León, where graduates of these fields also represent 15% of the entity and has 172 automotive plants dedicated to the manufacture of coatings, exhaust parts, Safety systems and shock absorbers
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In contrast, Coahuila registered in the period 2021-2022 around 8,000 graduates in engineering and technical careers, which represents 34% of the state's total. INA indicated that in that entity there are 215 plants that produce particularly steel parts, seats, moldings and brake system parts.
On the other hand, the INA commented that Mexico continues to consolidate itself as one of the main producers of auto parts in the world, occupying the fourth position after surpassing Germany in 2021 and below China, the United States and Japan. It is estimated that, by the end of 2023, the production value of these components in the country will be around 109 billion dollars, mainly due to exports.
The main automotive parts sold abroad in 2022 were harnesses, wires and cables; die-cut parts and body accessories; seats and parts thereof; gearboxes; brake mechanisms and internal combustion engines, with the total value of exports of 89,224 million dollars.
In addition, the INA mentioned that foreign direct investment (FDI) for the auto parts sector in 2022 reached US $ 1,376 million, with the United States being Mexico's main trading partner representing around 78% of investments, followed by Japan with 10% and South Korea with 3% of the participation.
INA stated that, according to the accumulated period from 1999 to 2022, FDI in the auto parts industry in Mexico registered about US $ 50,000 million, with the United States, Japan, Germany and Canada as the largest investors in the country.
