Watch: ALSC Mexico 2025 - Day 3 Wrap up
Christopher Ludwig, chief content officer at Automotive Logistics, wraps up the final day of the Automotive Logistics and Supply Chain Mexico 2025 conference from the heart of Mexico City, reflecting on resilience, digital transformation, localisation and the path ahead for competitiveness.
In the final wrap-up from Automotive Logistics and Supply Chain Mexico 2025, Christopher Ludwig reflects on three days of rich discussion, industry insight and a clear message of resilience and collaboration running through Mexico’s automotive logistics community.
Speaking from the centre of Mexico City, Ludwig draws a parallel between the energy of the city and the dynamism of Mexico’s supply chain, which continues to evolve through disruption, digitalisation and shifting trade dynamics. Day three brought these themes into sharp focus.
A central topic was the need to enhance connectivity across the supply chain. Gabriela Karthe Figueroa, production order control manager at Volkswagen de México highlighted the company’s work on an outbound control tower, designed to link the ecosystem more tightly and improve visibility and predictability. Yet gaps remain. Maxim Serov, regional supply chain director from Benteler pointed out that Mexico still trails the US in EDI connectivity, urging suppliers and logistics providers to adopt lower-cost, web-based solutions and reduce reliance on Excel to accelerate automation.
Localisation also featured prominently, especially against the backdrop of upcoming USMCA renegotiations and tariff uncertainty. Evelin Nava Castaldi, purchasing and supplier quality director at Stellantis Mexico underlined the importance of working with suppliers to increase local content, including reshoring processes such as casting, which can help manufacturers qualify under USMCA rules and avoid costly tariffs.
The closing panel focused on Mexico’s competitiveness in the years ahead. Lizette Gracida, senior director of external affairs & trade compliance at Toyota México warned that raising local content requirements further could be challenging, but stressed the need for a unified industry voice in discussions with government. She remained optimistic that closer alignment with the US and North America is achievable, provided Mexico continues to invest in energy, infrastructure and digitalisation.
Industry collaboration will be essential. Even as Nissan rightsizes its operations in Mexico, Gerardo de la Torre, regional senior director of supply chain management at Nissan Group of the Americas explained that the OEM is working closely with suppliers to consolidate and grow production volumes. This approach, he emphasised, creates opportunities for logistics partners willing to align on quality and performance.
Despite market uncertainty and operational shifts, Ludwig concludes that the supply chain will be instrumental in keeping Mexico competitive. Automotive Logistics will continue to cover these developments through reporting, interviews and analysis as the industry looks toward the next Automotive Logistics and Supply Chain Mexico conference in November 2026.
