Nuevo Leon
89% of Mexico's 2025 manufacturing growth; Tesla Gigafactory announced then paused; Monterrey 20M sqft industrial absorption (2022); 76% nearshoring claim.
Nuevo León officially became Mexico's leading state for industrial growth and formal employment in 2025, contributing nearly 89% of national manufacturing growth in the first half of the year. Governor Samuel García claims the state will capture 76% of all nearshoring FDI. Tesla announced plans to build the world's largest Gigafactory near Monterrey in March 2023, but the project was paused in July 2024 pending US tariff clarity—though excavation work along the Monterrey-Saltillo highway has already begun.
Monterrey has led Mexico in industrial absorption for a decade, averaging 8 million square feet annually—then doubling that to 16 million in 2021 and 20 million in 2022. Sectors span advanced manufacturing, automotive, metal-mechanics, and electronics. Chinese investment in Mexican auto parts and electrical components surged 77% in 2024, reaching $3.9 billion, much of it landing in Nuevo León.
By 2026, Nuevo León will test whether Tesla uncertainty is delay or cancellation. If the Gigafactory proceeds and Monterrey's industrial absorption continues, the state could solidify as North America's nearshoring capital. If Tesla walks away and tariff wars persist, Nuevo León will still lead Mexico—but the transformational moment may have passed.