T-MEC review stalls investment in Tijuana's manufacturing sector

The scheduled start of the 2026 review of the United States‑Mexico‑Canada Trade Agreement (T‑MEC) has led advanced manufacturers in Tijuana to suspend planned industrial investments and expansion projects. Alonso Ibarra, president of Canacintra Tijuana, said budgets for corporate development in the second half of the year will remain frozen until the first evaluation sessions conclude, citing uncertainty over the agreement’s future and its impact on the regional economy.

Analysts note that the review has become a strategic contest beyond tariffs, focusing on control of North American value chains. As one commentary puts it, "La revisión ya no trata solamente de aranceles o exportaciones." The United States sees a fully integrated North America as essential to compete with China’s dominance in critical sectors such as semiconductors, batteries and critical minerals, and views Mexico’s manufacturing capacity and logistics network as indispensable for that objective.