Executive recruiters in Mexico are seeing a rising trend: Chinese companies moving their manufacturing operations into Mexico to avoid tariffs and gain on freight.
One of the unexpected consequences of the tariff war between the United States and China has been the boon of manufacturing operations coming from China to export into the United States from Mexico. Manufacturing leaders in the region are also seeing an increase in production lines from the United States being transferred into Mexico to export to countries that are also being affected by tariffs. Perhaps a sign that business will always find a way.
Export of products manufactured in Mexico such as automobiles, leather goods, aluminum products, and iron and steel products to the United States increased in 2018 compared to 2017, while exports of the same products that were made in China and impacted by tariffs in the United States declined. Overall manufacturing exports from Mexico to the United States increased by over 10% in 2018 to close to USD$ 347 billion.
Executive search consultants, or headhunters as they are commonly referred to, work as trusted advisors to organizations worldwide across industries, helping them to attract top executive talent, advising their boards and developing their internal talent for leadership roles. They are thus in a unique position to measure the temperature of global business, identify talent trends, and point to new opportunities in the market. Alder Koten recruiters in Mexico engage in multiple conversations a day with manufacturing executives, including plant managers and general managers in Mexico.
