Source: Economic Daily
Author: Yuan Yong
Recently, a boom in the automotive industry has appeared in Mexico. Many companies from the United States, China, and Europe have successively landed or announced in Mexico's automotive industry investment projects.In response to this phenomenon, some opinions believe that Mexico may replace China's position in the global automotive industry and even the manufacturing system.This view lacks an objective understanding of the global industrial system. Even if the importance of Mexico in the global automotive industry is increasing, it will not affect the steady development of the Chinese automobile industry. The industries of the two countries can even achieve mutual benefit and win -win.
Why choose Mexico
According to incomplete statistics, in the fourth quarter of 2022, 62 automotive -related projects in 17 countries announced that they had landed in Mexico.Since the beginning of this year, companies such as BMW, Volkswagen, Ford, and Mainland Germany have announced their investment plans in Mexico.In March, Tesla announced that it would build a factory in New Royn State, Mexico. It invested more than 5 billion US dollars and had a planned production capacity of 1 million units, which caused global attention.You know, the four factories that Tesla have put into production are located in the United States, China, and Germany. They are all countries with large economic volume and relatively complete industrial facilities.Investment attraction.
The development of the automotive industry in Mexico has a long history. Why has it recently set off a wave of industrial investment?The reason is from many aspects, including short -term stimulus factors and long -term basic factors.
In recent years, the global automobile industry has entered a period of change. Driven by factors such as favorable policies and technological progress iterations in various countries, a number of new energy vehicle industry companies represented by Tesla and Ningde Times have risen rapidly. Traditional auto companies alsoThe transformation of new energy vehicles has formed a global wave of investment in new energy vehicles. The investment in the Mexican automobile industry is the epitome of this investment boom.
In addition, related policies in the United States are also the stimulating factor of the investment trend of the Mexican automobile industry.In recent years, the United States has claimed that it is necessary to create a "more tough and safer supply chain", and promotes "near -shore outsourcing" through the US supply chain administration order, and neighboring Mexico has become the test field of "near -shore outsourcing" in the United States.In August 2022, the United States issued the inflation reduction bill, saying that huge subsidies will be provided to support the production and investment of electric vehicles such as electric vehicles. Among them, as many as nine tax discounts are based on the production and sales of production and sales in the United States or North America.Faced with the market environment under subsidy policy, in the face of the market environment, in order to maintain market competitiveness in North America, we have to consider production locally. Mexico has become an investment choice for many companies.
In addition to external factors, Mexican's own conditions are also an important foundation for attracting a large amount of investment in the automotive industry.
Look at the geographical location first.Mexico is located in the middle of North and South America.Products produced in Mexico are low in transportation to the North American market and can also cover the South American market.At present, the South American automobile market is the fourth largest automotive market in the world after North America, Asia and Europe.
Look at the advantages of human resources again.The total population of Mexico is about 128 million, ranking tenth in the world, and the population structure is younger. 58.8%of the population between 20 and 64, including many engineering and technical talents.
In addition, Mexico has a good car industry foundation.According to data from the Mexican Automobile Industry Association, the output value of the automotive industry accounts for 3.8%of the GDP in Mexico and 20.5%of the manufacturing output value.At present, a total of 14 brands of automobile manufacturing plants, 10 engine production plants and seven transmission production plants are operated in ink.Mexico also has rich lithium resource reserves, which is the basic material of electric vehicle batteries.At present, the lithium resource reserves that have been proven by Mexico are 1.7 million tons, ranking 10th in the world.
Mexico is one of the countries with the most free trade agreement in the world, which is also very attractive to enterprise investment.In July 2020, the US -Mexico -Canada Agreement replaced the former North American Free Trade Agreement and officially took effect. Many products exported from Mexico to the United States and Canada can enjoy extremely low tariffs or even zero tariffs.Mexico also signed 14 free trade agreements with 52 countries, 32 mutual promotion and protection of investment agreements, and nine economic complementary free trade agreements, which greatly reduced the trade costs in Mexica companies.
Some people are based on this series of advantages and believe that Mexico will replace China's position in the global automotive industry system.In fact, the global automotive industry has formed three major industrial centers in the United States, China and Europe, and China is not the only central market and manufacturing base.95%of the products produced by Mexico are supplied to the North American market, and there is no conflict with the Chinese market, which does not matter.
Industrial development is restricted
The development of the automotive industry in Mexico started early, and the scale was very large, but there were almost no native car brands that were screaming.
First of all, the issue of law and order.Official data shows that Mexican's murder rate is about 100,000 % of which is the forefront of the world.If a company chooses to invest in Mexico, especially some of Mexican's poor law and order, there is a concern for factories and products.
Secondly, energy and water resources are seriously insufficient.Some experts believe that water deficiency and electricity are important factor in Mexican manufacturing that failed to achieve high -level development.Data show that Mexican's national water resources reserve volume is poor, and the per capita renewable water resources are only one -fifteen of the world average.For Mexico, how to ensure factory operations and residents' water use in the absence of water is a huge challenge.In addition, 60%of Mexican's electricity is provided by natural gas, and 70%of natural gas is imported from the United States.Compared with coal power, the cost of natural gas power generation is double to three times higher, which has led to a serious power deficiency in Mexico, and commercial electricity prices are more expensive than the United States, which is twice that of China.Large -scale power outage is the norm. Reports of factorys are often seen in reports due to power shortage.
Another important issue in the Mexican economy is to rely too much on the United States.Mexico enjoys the dividend of the US economy overflow, but the dominance of the policy has always been in the hands of the United States.The wind of the US policy may have a huge impact on Mexico.For example, the U.S. government expressed strong dissatisfaction with Mexico's energy reform plan earlier this year, demanding Mexico to open its own energy market to US companies, and agree to strengthen supervision, otherwise tariffs on Mojia will be imposed.
Mexico with outstanding investment advantages, the shortcomings are also obvious.For enterprises in various countries, eggs will not be placed in a basket.Evaluating comprehensive factors and diversified investment in multiple countries are more common and more rational practices.
From the current status of development, the industrial development of China and Mexico is not a simple relationship of "you have to lose", but a mutually beneficial relationship.China is Mexico's second largest trading partner in the world, and Mexico is also China's second largest trading partner in Latin America.In 2022, the total amount of Sino -Mexico trade was 94.965 billion US dollars, an increase of 9.8%year -on -year, indicating that the economic structure of both sides was very complementary.
In addition, whether Chinese companies make direct investment in Mexico, or Chinese suppliers follow the car companies to build factories in Mexico, they bring the production capacity expanded and realize common profit.
Therefore, the investment and trade exchanges between China and Mexico can fully achieve mutual benefit.The concerns of "production capacity transfer leads to the hollow of China's manufacturing industry" is not necessary. "Mexico replaces China's position in the global automotive industry and even the manufacturing system."
