Borderlands Mexico is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: Mexican government unveils $540M industrial hub to lure investments; Mexico hits $3B in new foreign investment during Q2; and U.S. launches labor dispute against Mexican meatpacker.
Mexican authorities have begun construction of the Wellness Development Hub in Huamantla, the first of 15 regional centers designed to spur industry, services, and tourism through domestic and foreign investment.
The $540 million project will span 131 acres in Huamantla, about 116 miles east of Mexico City.
“The physical construction of the hub itself will be completed in February 2026,” Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said Thursday during a news conference. “It will be the first to be completed, with 80% of its surface area already committed to companies from Mexico, Germany, and North America.”
The 15 hubs form part of Plan México, President Claudia Sheinbaum’s national growth strategy, which seeks to attract $277 billion in combined domestic and foreign investment by 2030.
“Plan México aims to produce more for the domestic market — yes, for exports, but also for the domestic market,” Sheinbaum said at the same event. “The development centers for well-being are a national planning effort.”
Initial investors in the Huamantla hub include German auto parts maker Knipping Automotive, Mexico-based Comercializadora Ragón, and U.S.-based Integrated Services and Senior Management Administration.
Knipping Automotive recently opened a $19 million plant in Huamantla, its third facility in the area, employing 150 people to produce automotive interior plastics.
In August, the government also announced another Wellness Development Hub in the city of Morelia, backed by an initial $54 million investment.
Other hubs will be located in San José Chiapa, in the state of Puebla, and Nezahualcóyotl, a municipality located adjacent to the east side of Mexico City.
In total, the 15 hubs will be established across 14 states, with projections to generate 300,000 jobs and contribute 1.5% of gross domestic product during Sheinbaum’s administration, which ends in 2030.
Mexico attracted $3.15 billion in new foreign direct investment (FDI) in the second quarter of 2025, a 246% increase from the same period last year, the Ministry of Economy reported.
Total FDI inflows in the first half of 2025 reached $34.27 billion, up 10.2% from 2024, marking a fifth consecutive year of record foreign investment. Reinvested profits made up 84.4% of inflows, new investments 9.2%, and intercompany accounts 6.4%.