IMMEX · Nearshoring · Textile · Electronics · Automotive
Maquiladora report 2026: IMMEX and nearshoring
The behaviour of the maquiladora sector and IMMEX programme operations in Mexico during 2026: investment announcements, growing sectors, merch demand for plant personnel and traceability considerations.
Maquiladora sector overview
The maquiladora sector in Mexico represents a significant part of manufacturing GDP and formal employment in northern and Bajío states. During 2025 and 2026 the sector received important investments due to the nearshoring phenomenon, with relocation of operations from Asia to Mexico. States with the highest capture are Nuevo León, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, Jalisco and Baja California, with extensions to Tamaulipas and Sonora.
The sectors with the highest growth within the IMMEX programme are semiconductors, electronics, electromobility, medical devices, advanced manufacturing, aerospace equipment and technical textile. Traditional textile maquila has given ground to advanced manufacturing, although it remains relevant in plazas like Torreón, Saltillo and the Bajío zone.
Investment announcements and relevant projects
During 2025 and 2026 relevant projects were announced in the sector. In Nuevo León stand out investments in electromobility and semiconductors; in Chihuahua the relocation of electronics and component manufacturing; in Coahuila the expansions of the automotive sector with Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers; in Querétaro the arrival of aerospace equipment and medical devices; in Jalisco the growth of the electronics sector in Guadalajara and Zapopan.
For corporate merch purposes, investment announcements generate two types of demand. The first is corporate uniform for plant personnel of new hiring, with series that can range from five hundred to several thousand units per plant. The second is welcome kit for employees relocated from Asia, Europe or the United States, with emphasis on Spanish-English when the personnel come from the parent plant.
Uniform demand for plant personnel
Uniform demand for plant personnel in IMMEX operations concentrates in: polo shirt in cotton or poly-cotton blend, quick-dry technical shirt, work pants with reinforcements, light water-repellent jacket, heavy jacket for cold-climate plant, cap or helmet with logo per plant protocol, industrial safety shoe where applicable, and personal protection elements — gloves, glasses, earplugs — when the customer prefers single vendor for all PPE.
The most common customisation is embroidery on left chest and back, company logo and, in some operations, employee number or collaborator name. Uniform durability is evaluated in industrial wash cycles — fifty to one hundred cycles — and field testing is done during the first three months of use. Replacement is scheduled every six or twelve months depending on wear.
Documentation and traceability
Operations with IMMEX require rigorous vendor documentation. Tax status certificate from SAT, positive opinion on tax compliance, positive opinion before IMSS and INFONAVIT, workshop compliance letter, applicable product certifications and traceability by batch are common requirements. For customers with ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 quality systems documentation aligned to their formats is delivered.
When the product is part of the customer's Annex 24 inventory control, the technical sheet with description, country of origin, suggested tariff classification, value and pedimento reference is delivered. Document traceability is kept for at least five years per regulation. For customers with external audit the workshop coordinates with the customer's compliance area before the first delivery.
Considerations for sector vendors
To serve the maquiladora and IMMEX sector the workshop must have multi-plaza capacity, documented quality system, CFDI 4.0 invoicing capacity with Carta Porte complement where applicable, LFPDPPP compliance for personal data handling of customer personnel, and bilingual response capability. Coordination with the customer is managed from a single point of contact with dedicated owners per plant or per region.
Personnel rotation in maquiladora plants is high, which generates frequent replacements outside the regular calendar. Efficient operation requires dedicated stock for replacements, with automatic replenishment and short lead time delivery. Centralised invoicing and multi-plant delivery are the most efficient models for customers with dispersed operations.
Typical cases of the sector
Typical cases of the maquiladora and IMMEX sector include: corporate uniform for new plant in start-up phase, welcome kit for employees relocated from Asia, uniforms for plant expansion with growth from five hundred to one thousand collaborators, scheduled uniform replacement by wear, merch for inauguration event with government authorities, kit for international corporate visit and pack for diversity and inclusion programme.
For customers with ESG commitment and sustainability reports we handle uniforms with recycled materials and environmental certifications, and deliver documentation for their reports. For customers with operations in zones with special tax treatment — border zone — we manage invoicing with applicable IVA rate.
2027 sector projections
Projections of the maquiladora and IMMEX sector for 2027 point to sustained growth due to the nearshoring effect, with emphasis on advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, electromobility and medical devices. Corporate merch demand will continue growing in parallel, with preference for consistent quality uniforms, recycled materials and vendors with multi-plaza capacity.
Documentary complexity will continue to be a selection factor — customers with mature quality systems prefer vendors that deliver documentation aligned to their formats and that accept periodic audits. Bilingual coordination and centralised invoicing will remain operational requirements. Investment in production capacity and certifications will continue to be a priority for sector vendors.
FAQ — maquiladora block
Do you cover all plants of a multi-site customer?
Yes. We coordinate deliveries to all customer plants with a single commercial and quality point of contact. Invoicing is issued centrally or per plant depending on customer preference.
Do you comply with Annex 24 inventory control?
Yes. When the product is part of the customer's inventory control we deliver the technical sheet with description, country of origin, tariff classification and pedimento reference. Traceability is kept for five years.
Do you handle uniforms with recycled materials?
Yes. We work with GRS-certified recycled cotton, recycled polyester from PET bottles and recycled nylon. Certification documentation is delivered with each batch.
Do you have experience with Asian customers?
Yes. We manage customers with headquarters in Japan, Korea, China and Taiwan, with bilingual coordination and documentation in customer format. The accumulated experience allows us to resolve the particular documentary schemes of each origin.
Request the full report
If your company with IMMEX programme, maquiladora plant or nearshoring relocation requires corporate merch, let's talk. We deliver an initial quote based on your sector, plant and start-up calendar.
The maquiladora report reflects workshop observation and its customers during the covered period. Investment announcements and sector figures are built based on conversations with customers, suppliers and market observation; they do not constitute a formal statistical study of the sector. The application of Annex 24, pedimento and USMCA rules must be verified with the customer's compliance area and, where applicable, with the customs broker. Corp-Merch.MX is a Mexican workshop for corporate merch production; we operate independently and the regulatory information here does not constitute legal or customs advice.