“Made in México” and the 11 Million sqm Behind an Industrial Policy

When someone buys a product bearing the official “Made in México” label, accompanied by the silhouette of a golden eagle, they are seeing more than a reference to its origin. They are seeing a certification authorized by Mexico’s Secretary of Economy. The label recognizes products made or assembled in the country that meet quality standards, prioritize domestic inputs and address at least one of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

By August 2026, more than 5,400 companies had been authorized to use the “Made in México” label on certain products. Of those, at least 205 occupy 11.1 million square meters of industrial space across the main markets in Mexico's northern, central and Bajío regions, equivalent to one in every nine occupied industrial square meters, according to SiiLA data¹.

That vast industrial footprint takes on greater significance in the current trade environment. Mexico sends more than 80% of its goods exports to the United States, while Washington seeks to strengthen rules of origin and reduce the share of inputs from outside North America in regional supply chains. In this environment, installed capacity linked to practices that favor domestic inputs can strengthen local suppliers and production chains while facilitating their integration with the country’s largest export market.

Among the sectors represented by this group of companies, Food, Beverages and Tobacco has the largest industrial footprint, with 31% of the identified space, followed by Manufacturing at 25%. Transportation and Logistics and Consumer Products account for another 23% and 18%, respectively, while the remaining 3% is spread across at least six sectors, including Business Services and Healthcare.

Behind those percentages are companies whose origins could hardly be more different. Mexican groups such as Bimbo, Liverpool² and Chedraui appear alongside multinationals including Nissan, Samsung, Schneider Electric, Volkswagen and Mondelez.

That mix challenges a common association between a company's origin and the products for which it is authorized to use the label, since the nationality of the capital does not necessarily determine where value is created. A multinational, for example, can incorporate domestic inputs and carry out production processes in Mexico, while a Mexican company may depend on imported components. Their integration into global supply chains means the boundary between domestic and foreign production depends less on who owns the company and more on where and with what inputs production takes place.

The separation between the origin of capital and the origin of production also appears on the map. The real estate footprint of the identified companies extends across several states that contribute most to the country’s non-oil industrial activity and, in some cases, to agricultural activity as well.

According to SiiLA, two-thirds of the identified space is concentrated in Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara. While the latter two markets are located in two of the country’s main industrial hubs—Nuevo León leads Mexico in non-oil industrial activity and Jalisco ranks third, while also leading agricultural production—Mexico City follows a different logic. Although it accounts for the largest share of the identified space, its contribution to national industrial production is considerably smaller; instead, it leads in tertiary activities, generating 21% of the country’s value added. That difference also appears in the space identified by SiiLA: Transportation and Logistics accounts for 36%, nearly twice Manufacturing's share.

Taken together, this distribution shows that the geography of companies linked to “Made in México” extends beyond the places where production occurs. Their presence in activities ranging from Manufacturing to logistics shows how the business structure associated with domestic production can extend geographically beyond the producing state. Making products in Mexico, therefore, does not happen in isolation inside a factory, but within an economy capable of supplying, moving and bringing that production to market.

For more data on Mexico’s industrial market, visit SiiLA Market Analytics or email us at contacto@siila.com.mx.

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¹ To identify these companies, reports of “Made in México” label authorizations published by Mexico’s Secretary of Economy through Aug. 31, 2026, were cross-referenced with industrial occupiers monitored by SiiLA as of the second quarter of the year. Only verified identity matches were included, and the space occupied by each identified company was added together. The space represents the real estate footprint of authorized companies and does not imply that the identified properties manufacture, store or distribute the products associated with the authorization.

² “Made in México” authorization applies to products. It does not require that the authorized company’s primary business be manufacturing them, meaning the list may include companies primarily engaged in retail or distribution, such as Liverpool. The reference to “ADVERTISING” that appears in some authorizations, including those of Liverpool and Mercado Libre, derives from the trademark’s registration with IMPI under Class 35, “Advertising of products produced and manufactured in the Mexican Republic,” and does not mean that the advertising service is certified as “Made in México.” The rules governing use of the label link authorization to products made, manufactured or assembled in the country.