With the Mexico Plan, which will boost the “done in Mexico”, the Mexican textile industry plans Rafael Zaga Saba, president of the National Chamber of the Textile Industry (Canaintex).
The entrepreneur acknowledged that uncertainty persists on the Mexico-United States relationship, however, confirmed that various brands have shown interest in investing in the textile-confection industry to make national products.
He mentioned that the Mexican government is providing the conditions to produce at low cost and compete, for example there is certainty in the secondary laws of the energy reform where electricity is already allowed in hydroelectric and solar panel in the factories.
“Yes there is a will for purchases to reinforce nationally,” he said.
In an interview with The economistthe leader of the textile industry said: “We have begun to feel a market reactivation (internal), we have begun to feel that brands are looking for national supply, we also see that the North American Free Trade Agreement (T-MEC) in The rules, talk that the thread has to be produced in the region, are strengthened with everything that is happening and we believe that from the second quarter of 2025, we have to begin to see the improvements. ”
He explained that the textile industry is placed at a strategic point, at a primary point. “We are seeing it with great optimism and we believe that the results are going to be seen soon,” he said.
He recalled that the objective is to recover the 75,000 jobs that were lost in the last two years, and above all to increase the participation of the industry in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) manufacturing, which fell in two decades of 3.2% to 1.8 percent.
Rafael Zaga highlighted the relevance that the industry has taken for the Mexican government, as evidenced by the decree of December 19, 2024 that increases up to 35% tariffs on clothing that remain illegally in the Mexican territory to be sold and the Import substitution proposed by the Mexico Plan.
“We have the strength to do it in all, we are very strong in denim, in shirts, we are very strong in costumes. I could tell you that one of three in three gentleman pants that are marketed in the United States are made in Mexico and and all that can be climbing, we are a good power in several products, ”he said.
Currently the illegality, there are three out of five garments, more than 60% of the domestic market, but with the measures and Plan Mexico “it would be recovering 10%,” said the president of the Canaintex.
“The factories are, the investments can be given, we only needed the exact moment to do so, the correct signs and the good will of a government to bring such an important industry afloat,” he said.
