Services / Site selection and incentives
Site Selection & Incentives in Mexico
Where you land in Mexico sets your cost base for a decade, and most companies decide it in a week.
For Canadian and US companies entering Mexico.
Request a complimentary 30-minute call
The most expensive decision on the way in.
Where your plant lands in Mexico sets your labor cost, logistics, power and incentives for as long as you operate. It is also the hardest decision to reverse.
the economics
What the decision is worth, before you commit.
$36.8B
Foreign direct investment into Mexico, 2024
32
States, each with its own incentive package, negotiated case by case
6-12
Weeks to run a multi-state search and win incentives
01
What a Mexico site search decides
Five coupled parts:
- Site: the park, screened against your sector, inputs and customers
- Incentives: negotiated before you sign
- Power: CFE interconnection, confirmed before you commit
- Labor: depth for your roles, near technical universities
- Logistics: border distance and inbound supplier flows
Get one wrong and the others cannot save it.
02
Incentives are won through competition
Mexican state incentives are negotiated: when a state knows two others are bidding for your plant, the package moves. Calder & Vale runs your search as that competition, with a direct line into the Secretaría de Economía and introductions to the state offices that grant incentives.
03
Power is the constraint no one prices in early
A park can look perfect and still sit twelve to twenty-four months from the power your line needs. You confirm interconnection before you commit.
04
You own what you build
You hold your own entity, incentives, power contract and customs and IMMEX registrations from the start. A shelter or IMMEX park remains a legitimate route for a pilot, and we will tell you when your stage calls for one.
05
How each state is scored against your plant
You see each state scored on six factors, weighted by what you build.
| Factor | What gets measured |
|---|---|
| Power | Substation capacity, interconnection date, CFE tariff |
| Customs distance | Drive time to your crossing or port, bonded facilities, brokers |
| Labor depth | Available people, competing employers, turnover, wages |
| Incentives | What the state and municipality put in writing |
| Water and risk | Water permits, corridor security, park tenant record |
| The building | Clear height, docks, floor load, room for a second phase |
Send the shape of your plant below for a written first pass within one business day.
frequently asked questions
How are state incentives in Mexico actually awarded?
They are negotiated: each state economic-development office (the SEDECO) can offer land pricing, payroll-tax abatements, training grants and faster permitting. The package depends on your investment, your jobs and whether the state knows it is competing for you.
Should I take a shelter or industrial park's site, or run my own search?
A shelter or park site is fast, low-commitment and can suit a pilot, but it carries a premium and the site stays the operator's. Your own search wins you your own incentives, power contract and entity, and it is our default unless speed to a small pilot outranks cost.
Which Mexican states are best for manufacturing?
It depends on your inputs, labor profile, customers and border distance: the northern states lead on automotive and U.S. proximity, the Bajío on precision manufacturing and talent, the State of Mexico and Mexico City on domestic reach. We screen states against your specific sector.
How long does site selection and incentive negotiation take?
Typically six to twelve weeks, depending on how many states are in contention and how quickly power interconnection is confirmed. It finishes before you sign a lease or commit capital through your entity.
What separates a good landing from an expensive one is who was in the room when the incentives were set.
Calder & Vale
related services
Not sure where to start?
Most clients begin with a thirty-minute call. We'll map your situation and recommend the right path, no commitment required.
For Canadian and US companies entering Mexico.
Request a complimentary 30-minute callProvide services to companies entering Mexico? Introduce your firm