Guadalajara, Jal. The reduction of resources allocated to the export sector and the elimination of JalTrade (Institute for the Promotion of Foreign Trade of Jalisco) during the current state administration have caused a significant drop in exports, placing Jalisco in sixth place nationally in international sales, according to Mario Gutiérrez Treviño, vice president of the Mexican Council of Foreign Trade (Comce) of the West.
In statements to El Economista, Gutiérrez Treviño expressed his concern about the fact that, despite Jalisco’s great export potential in areas such as the agro-industrial sector and the traditional footwear, textile, clothing and jewelry industries, the state is behind non-border entities such as Guanajuato.
“If we compare ourselves with states such as Guanajuato, it has already clearly surpassed us; it currently occupies fifth place among the largest exporters in the country, while Jalisco is in sixth. This is due to something very simple: the budget of Cofoce (Coordinator for the Promotion of Foreign Trade) in Guanajuato is equivalent to the total budget of the Secretariat of Economic Development of Jalisco,” said Mario Gutiérrez Treviño.
“It is really unfortunate for Jalisco; we should not be in sixth place. We should be among the top three, considering our outstanding industries in sectors such as electronics, tequila and agriculture. That Guanajuato has surpassed us is not acceptable,” he emphasized.
Sixth place nationally
According to data from the Quarterly Exports by Federative Entity (ETEF) of INEGI, corresponding to the second quarter of 2024, the states with the highest share in total national exports were Chihuahua (13.1%), Coahuila (12.7%), Baja California (10.3%), Nuevo León (9.9%), Tamaulipas (6.6%) and Guanajuato (6.4%). These six entities together represented 59% of the national total during the first half of the year.
In the computer, communication, measurement and other electronic components equipment sector, Jalisco occupies the third national position with a share of 17.4%, surpassed by Chihuahua (37.7%) and Baja California (19.5%).
However, the vice president of Comce Occidente highlighted that there is a difference between maquila and direct export: “They are not exporters, they are maquiladoras, and that is something completely different. They are not used to taking a plane, traveling to the other side of the world, sitting in exhibitions and looking for clients for their companies,” he said.
On the other hand, the Secretariat of Economic Development (Sedeco) reported that during the current six-year term, Jalisco’s exports reached a cumulative total of 168,149 million dollars, positioning the state as the national leader in exports between non-border entities.
Traditional industry
Textile businessman Mario Gutiérrez Treviño said that “the economic issue has been neglected internally” in Jalisco, in addition to the disappearance of JalTrade (Institute for the Promotion of Foreign Trade of Jalisco), which in past administrations promoted foreign trade.
“At Comce we designed JalTrade, which operated without generating significant costs to the state, since the outgoing president of Comce assumed the role on an honorary basis and with the support of a top-level executive. In these six years, JalTrade disappeared. When exporters approach the Secretariat of Economic Development (Sedeco), they do not have the necessary resources to support them. I hope that the next governor, Pablo Lemus, considers resuming this model, since it did not entail large expenses,” he said.
Gutiérrez Treviño mentioned that he has held meetings with the elected governor and with Mauro Garza, future coordinator of the economic cabinet. «Mauro agrees with me that it is necessary to reactivate this project and strengthen the Sedeco budget to take advantage of the enormous economic potential of Jalisco,» he commented.
The businessman also highlighted that sectors such as textiles, footwear, jewelry and clothing face a complicated panorama. «We are being pressured by trade with China, the implications of the T-MEC and rampant smuggling in areas such as footwear and textiles. For example, Flexi, an emblematic company in Guanajuato, had to lay off 1,700 workers. It is urgent to speak with industry leaders, such as Rafael Zaga, president of the National Chamber of the Textile Industry, to evaluate how many companies have closed and take measures before it is too late,» he concluded.
