San Luis Potosí auto cluster sees potential for Chinese manufacturing investment

Could a Chinese automaker open a plant in the state of San Luis Potosí? The president of the San Luis Potosí Automotive Cluster, an industry group, believes it’s possible. President of the San Luis Potosí Automotive Cluster Alberto Rosales Reyna (L), State Economic Development Minister Mario García (M) and Luis Alberto González Olvera (R), executive director of the cluster. (Mario García Valdez/Facebook) Alberto Rosales Reyna, the cluster’s president, told the San Luis Potosí-based newspaper Plano Informativo that Asian automakers, including Chinese ones, have considered investing in the state, where BMW and General Motors have plants. He acknowledged that no new automotive plant projects have been confirmed for San Luis Potosí, but suggested that could soon change. “A very significant [possible] investment in the production of Chinese vehicles [in Mexico] has been spoken about as part of an effort to increase local content and have Chinese production in our state,” Rosales said. He didn’t mention the names of any Chinese automakers that could open a plant in San Luis Potosí. However, Rosales asserted that the state has the capacity to welcome an automaker from China or any other country. The geographical location of San Luis Potosí, the “technical ability” of its workforce, proximity to supply chains and “support that the local government could provide” all make the state an attractive place for automotive investment, he said. Those things give San Luis Potosí “a great advantage,” Rosales said. BYD is among the Chinese automakers that have expressed interest in opening a plant in Mexico. But neither that company — the world’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer — nor any other Chinese automaker has opened a plant in the country to date. (However, a Mexican company, Giant Motors Latinoamérica, does assemble vehicles for Chinese automaker JAC at a plant in Ciudad Sahagún, Hidalgo.) SLP automotive industry event could generate ‘business opportunities’ worth more than US $100 million Rosales’ remarks about the possibility of a Chinese automaker investing in San Luis Potosí came ahead of Automotive Connection Potosí 2026, a business-to-business (B2B) networking event that will be held in San Luis Potosí city on Nov. 11 and 12. The San Luis Potosí Automotive Cluster and the state Ministry of Economic Development are collaborating on the event. According to the event website and media reports, Automotive Connection Potosí 2026 is projected to generate over US $100 million in “business opportunities” through meetings between automotive sector buyers and suppliers. Thirty buyers are listed on the event website, including BMW and Stellantis. More than 500 suppliers are slated to attend the event, at which more than 1,500 B2B meetings will take place, according to the organizers. According to a report by the news outlet Quadratín, San Luis Potosí Economic Development Minister Mario García Valde said that the event “seeks to facilitate local companies’ access to automotive sector buyers and open up opportunities for their incorporation in new productive projects.” With reports from Plano Informativo and Quadratín San Luis Potosí