The conversation has moved past whether to nearshore. For companies serving North American markets, nearshoring to Mexico is now a working assumption rather than a hypothesis. The question in 2026 is more specific: where in Mexico, and how to evaluate a site without inheriting someone else’s delays.
This guide covers what is driving nearshoring to Mexico right now, where investment is concentrating, and the criteria that separate a buildable site from a plan on paper.
Why Nearshoring to Mexico Accelerated
Three forces pushed nearshoring from a contingency plan to a core strategy. Supply chains stretched across the Pacific proved fragile under disruption. Holding inventory thousands of miles from the customer became expensive. And the USMCA framework gave companies a defined trade structure for producing in Mexico and selling into the United States.
The result is measurable in investment. Mexico recorded $34.3 billion in foreign direct investment in the first half of 2025 — its fifth consecutive record year. That capital is not spreading evenly. It is concentrating in the regions and parks that can absorb it without forcing a tenant to wait on infrastructure.
Where Investment Is Concentrating: The Bajío and Querétaro
Mexico’s Bajío region has absorbed more nearshoring investment over the past five years than any other corridor in the country. Querétaro sits at its center.
The state’s numbers explain why manufacturers keep shortlisting it:
- $2.8 billion in FDI in 2024, with 75% flowing into manufacturing.
- More than 1,500 foreign-owned companies and 45 industrial parks already operating.
- Seven automotive OEMs and more than 80 aerospace multinationals on the ground.
- A workforce built for industry: 104 universities and technical institutions, 5,100+ graduates and 3,700+ technicians a year, median age 29, and the lowest unemployment rate in Mexico.
The significance for a new entrant is the maturity of the ecosystem. Supplier networks, specialized labor, and support services are already in place. A company nearshoring into Querétaro is joining an industrial base, not building one alone. Puerta Querétaro’s Market & Labor page details the investment and workforce data behind these trends.
The Logistics Case for Central Mexico
Nearshoring only delivers on its promise if the site can actually reach the customer quickly. Central Mexico’s position is what makes the one-day supply chain possible.
From the Bajío, 46% of Mexico’s population sits within four hours by road. Trucks reach Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey, León, San Luis Potosí, and every major Pacific and Gulf port within a single day. For cross-border shipments, the Highway 57 USMCA corridor connects directly to the U.S. land port at Laredo, and CPKCS rail links central Mexico to the border and to both coasts.
This is the difference between a nearshoring supply chain that works and one that looks good on a map. The Location page breaks down the highway, rail, and air connectivity that determines real lead times.
What Has Changed for Site Selectors in 2026
As demand has risen, so has the cost of choosing wrong. The nearshoring trend has tightened availability in the strongest corridors, which means two things for a site-selection team.
First, infrastructure readiness is now a differentiator, not a given. Parks that promise power, water, and permitting “soon” introduce exactly the delay risk nearshoring is supposed to eliminate. Second, dedicated capacity matters more than headline square footage. A shared power allocation that competes with neighboring tenants is a constraint that surfaces after move-in, not before.
The parks that hold up under scrutiny share a profile: fully permitted land, installed infrastructure, dedicated utilities, and a developer that operates the park long-term rather than building and exiting.
How to Evaluate a Nearshoring Site in Mexico
A disciplined evaluation in 2026 comes down to a short list of questions, asked in order:
- Are all permits — federal, state, and municipal — already in place?
- Is infrastructure installed and connected to the lot line, or scheduled?
- Is the power supply dedicated, with capacity matched to your load?
- What is the real distance to highway, rail, and air freight?
- Does a long-term owner-operator stand behind the park?
At Puerta Querétaro, those questions are answered before a tenant asks. The 126-hectare park is fully permitted, with every lot served by a dedicated 30 MVA substation, independent water and wastewater systems, Engie natural gas, and five fiber optic providers. It sits adjacent to Querétaro International Airport, five miles from Highway 57, with CPKCS rail frontage along the park’s east side. Twenty-four companies already operate on site, and the developer has 30 years in Mexican industrial real estate. The infrastructure is here. The permits are in place.
The 2026 Takeaway
Nearshoring to Mexico is no longer the story — execution is. The opportunity is real and the investment data confirms it, but the advantage goes to companies that choose a site where readiness is proven rather than promised. In a tightening market, the buildable site is the scarce one.
If you are evaluating where to locate in central Mexico, browse available lots and build-to-suit options at Puerta Querétaro, or contact our team to discuss your timeline and requirements.