“The north stands out for better working conditions, greater openness, greater innovation, it is more connected, it has an advantage, which is not only geographical; Over time, the North has focused on building different things to take advantage of its geographical advantage,” explained Valeria Moy, director of IMCO, at the presentation of the 2023 State Competitiveness Index.
Derived from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which entered into force in 1994, large factories were installed on the northern border to supply the United States market, especially the automotive, auto parts, electronics, and other industries. his time, the textile.
Throughout that time, air, land and maritime infrastructure has been developed for the movement of merchandise, as well as the supply of specialized labor, study centers focused on innovation and technology. While the southern states have been lagging behind in this matter.
According to the 2023 State Competitiveness Index, presented this Friday by the IMCO, 46.6% of Foreign Direct Investment goes to the north; 42.3% in the center, and 11.1% in the south of the country.
“In the south, the problem is very uneven, I cannot speak of the average for the south, the difference between the states, in the rule of law, the best region is the south of the country, but it is very biased. Yucatán and Quintana Roo, although they are in the south, are very close to the US through the Gulf of Mexico, and nearshoring could be used more, but first infrastructure must be improved, connectivity between these states must be activated,” explained Moy.
Of the total of 32 entities in the IMCO Index, the last three with the lowest competitiveness index are: Chiapas, Oaxaca and Guerrero. These entities occupied the same position in the index last year.
The IMCO defines nearshoring as the relocation of production chains by transnational companies, which is based on geographical proximity, and is linked to competitiveness.
The director of IMCO considers that it is a unique opportunity to potentiate the sustainable growth of the states, and the more competitive an entity is, the more attractive it is for investment.
In order to attract investment, in addition to strengthening the rule of law and providing tax incentives, energy, connectivity, services, education, talent, innovation and infrastructure must be available.
