Mexican Textiles
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Mexican Textiles 9
TABLE OF CONTENT
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MEXICAN EMBROIDERY HISTORY
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MEXICAN TEXTILE INDUSTRY
At the origin of textiles The art of embroidery
Commencement of problems Current Scenario Gearing for Makeover Demand among the Consumers
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TABLE OF CONTENT
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DECLINE OF INDIGENOUS TEXTILES Globalization Immigration Rebellion of youth Media Garment substitutions Loss of heritage skills Quality degradation Changes in materials
INNOVATIONS IN TEXTILE Speed-to-market benefits Industrial hubs provide economies of scale The future of textile manufacturing in Mexico An industry poised for growth
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MEXICAN EMBROIDERY HISTORY The Mexican embroidery was originally created by the indigenous people. Nearly 80% of Mexico’s indigenous live in eight of the 31 states: Oaxaca, Chiapas, Veracruz, Puebla, Yucatan, Guerrero, Hidalgo and Mexico.
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MEXICAN EMBROIDERY HISTORY
Otomi
Aztec
Mixteques
Maya
Zapothequez
Otomi
The five predominant languages spoken by indigenous peoples are Nahuatl (Aztec), followed by Mayan, Zapotec, Mixtec and Otomi.
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MEXICAN EMBROIDERY HISTORY
At the origin of textiles Mexican textiles are the result of a long history. Prior to the Hispanic period, plant fibers used mainly came from yucca or palm trees as well as cotton in the southern plains with a warmer climate. After the fall of the Aztec Empire, the Spaniards brought with them new raw materials, such as silk and wool. At this time the Catholic nuns continued to wear in their churches what they call “the white outfit” “white work”. This term is used for textiles whose stitching is the same color as the base fabric, usually white linen, and includes the technique of “deshilado” or knitting yarn. With the dehilado, the selected yarns are extracted from the basic fabric; the others are connected and reinforced with decorative stitching. It is from here that comes the strong presence of white in the traditional clothes of Mexico unlike other Latin American countries where white is not very present. After that period the fabrics are largely influenced by European techniques such as the use of the loom. The clothing styles also change significantly. The fabrics are homemade or produced in workshops at the end of the 1910s, which corresponds to the mechanization of weaving, brought by the French.
In the 1960s, Otomi communities in Eastern Sierra suffered a severe economic crisis, triggered by a terrible drought and causing very poor harvests. In San Nicolas and San Pablo, communities of the municipality of Tenango de Doria – Hidalgo, the situation was so devastating that its inhabitants were in the need to look for new economic issues. And it is the women who have found the solution. The oldest embroiderers took the initiative to market the blouses they were developing. Nowadays, textiles for clothing or other applications are manufactured industrially or by craftsmen. Products still made by hand include pre-Hispanic clothing such as huipils or sarapes, often embroidered. Clothes, carpets and other items are made from natural fibers and dyes. Most of the handicrafts are still produced by indigenous communities concentrated in the center and south of the country, especially in the states of Mexico, Oaxaca and Chiapas.
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MEXICAN EMBROIDERY HISTORY
The art of embroidery In the tradition it was very common to embroider with the tip of the agave. Subsequently a needle replaced the old technique. Some indigenous groups still use traditional embroidery. The Mazateco living in San Bartolome Ayautla always embroider by hand. The clothes are made of cotton.
Embroiderers use hoops to embroider. They trace the outline of the figure to embroider and fill it with satin. They specialize in creating pillowcases, bags and vests. The Zapoteco living in San Antonino Castillo Velasco are known for their complex embroidery called “do me if you can”. The embroidery is composed of a point of
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MEXICAN EMBROIDERY HISTORY
pleat that creates folds on a cotton garment. The white blouse is filled with many colorful flowers that remind us of the thick flora of the region. Always in the community of Zapoteco but this time located in Istmo de Tehuantepec. The specialty are Tehuanas. These are large dresses made of dark velvet, large
embroideries of colorful flowers and silk ruffles at the bottom of the skirt. These traditional clothes were worn by the famous Mexican artist Frida Kahlo and made this dress very famous.
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The embroidery is the real distinctive signs of Mexican textile. The traditional motifs consist of geometric figures, abstract zig-zags, spirals, moons, crosses and volutes. Among the motifs embroidered on the Oaxaca huipils, many bear the influence of pre-Hispanic drawings, These multicolored
embroidery tell mythical stories mixing a certain vision of the cosmos to that of nature and the deities that surround these populations. Colors, shapes and textures give meaning to the symbolic life of representations: a place, a season, a feeling.
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MEXICAN EMBROIDERY HISTORY
Every country, every South American culture has developed its weaving techniques, and yet some of the motifs remain unique to the history of a country. Indeed, in Mexico, floral decorations are widely used, especially on the women’s clothing otomi communities, nahua, huaxtèque or huichol. Patterns of spirals or curves are
more common in the center and south of the country. In addition to flowers, other natural themes appear in woven or embroidered motifs, including plants and foliage, animals such as squirrels, rabbits, deer, armadillos, doves, hummingbirds, pelicans, seagulls or fish.
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MEXICAN EMBROIDERY HISTORY
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MEXICAN EMBROIDERY HISTORY
Chipas Embroidery The Otomi Indians of the community of San Pablo el Grande, in Tenango de Doria, in the Mexican state of Hidalgo, make hand-embroidered blankets known as tenangos. Their colorful drawings would be inspired by the murals that adorn the caves of the region. Textiles usually have bright colors and represent scenes of everyday life, flowers and fantastic animals.
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“The weavers were at that time respected people who carried tools and secrets to the grave, no doubt to continue to communicate with the gods.�
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MEXICAN TEXITILE INDUSTRY
MEXICAN TEXTILE INDUSTRY Mexico had a huge upswing in 1990s after entering into NAFTA (North America Free Trade Agreement) with Canada in 1994, becoming the world's one of the largest textile manufacturers. With the NAFTA agreement the sales hiked and Mexico attained large chunk of market share. It assumed to provide US with the biggest Textile and Apparels market, but with Asian and Central American markets becoming cheaper, envisages did not turn out to be that fruitful. Over the past decade, Mexico's textile sector has derived some of its greatest benefits from tariff reductions that resulted from the country's numerous free-trade agreements. That's especially true in the U.S. market, where Mexico has been the leader for years. However since 2000, Mexico is facing budding competition from China. This Asian gigantic has given headaches not only to the textile sector but to most Mexican productions, taking a lead in the market share of U.S. textile markets. The Mexican Textile sector comprises of natural, artificial and synthetic fibres, textiles, apparels, and textile made-up. It has shown a great viability and vitality during the last years, chiefly after the initiation of NAFTA. This is one of the manufacturing sectors that have developed the most, at an annual rate of almost 13% from 1997 to 2000. Textile sector ranks second after
metal products, machinery and equipments. In 2000, Mexico sold US$10.23 billion in textiles and clothing to the United States, representing a 117.21% increase over 1996. However, the overall textile imports and exports fell. Here are the statistics: A joint treaty between Mexico and China was signed when China entered the WTO. It allows Mexico to maintain compensatory quotas on 1,300 Chinese products until 2008. Near the end of 2004, China announced that it would impose taxes on exports of 148 textile products, beginning on January 1. The move was regarded as Chinas attempt to pacify those who fear that the end of the quota system will lead to assault of Chinese products globally. The Chinese will tax products like underwear, pants, suits and overcoats, at rates ranging from 0.2 yuan (.02 cents) to 0.3 Yuan per piece all together. Accessories will be taxed at 0.5 yuan per kilogram. This was only one out of the eight initiatives announced by China's commerce ministry in an effort to help industry acclimatize to free trade to prevent affliction of any hasty upsets. Other steps are designed to require Chinese textile companies to inform the government about their expansion plans; encourage Chinese companies to invest domestically, rather than expand overseas and kindle expansion of Chinese products.
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MEXICAN TEXTILE INDUSTRY
Commencement of problems Starting on January 1, 2004, the United States eliminated all restrictions and all designated quotas on imports of textiles and apparel products from Mexico. Yet, Mexican-made products began to lose their competitiveness in the U.S. for the reason that taxes and tariffs on imports from other countries were also dipping. The textile sector still is a great contributor to Mexico’s Gross Domestic Product and to its exports and investments. The sector is also vital to the country’s employment generation. Incorporated by links of chemical fibers, textiles and dressmaking, it is Mexicos fourth-largest manufacturing activity. However, the sector began to decline in 2004. Judging on the employment figures, In October 2004, the apparel industry provided 567,000 jobs, nearly 18,000 less jobs than in October 2003. The fundamental problem is that a high percentage of Mexico’s exports are gathered together from different countries
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MEXICAN TEXTILE INDUSTRY
Whereas in Asia there is a greater assimilation of the production chain for textile products which also provides additional value to it. These days, the products that have more fashionable appeal and higher added value are successful. Labor costs in Mexico are also elevated in comparison to Asian nations. Financing is also a hard nut to crack for Mexican Companies which force them to invite foreign investors. Mexican approach towards China is the biggest root cause of its decline. Mexico has always implicit China as a threat without looking on the other side of the coin. China is preparing to be a vital foreign investor by buying companies, getting into joint ventures and so on. It can also be advantageous to Mexico.
Current Scenario Textile Industry has been the most badly hit sectors of the economy. Many companies had to shut down and due to that many are left jobless. China replaced Mexico as the top supplier of textiles and apparel to the US, and continued to grow while Mexico’s market share fell down. In 2007, China’s clothing and textile exports to the US grew by 36%, while Mexico’s fell by 7% creating a huge gap between them. By 2008, China’s share of the US import market for textiles and clothing was at 35.1% in value terms, while Mexico had dropped to the fourth largest supplier. Still here are the statistics that asserts the potency of the sector.
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MEXICAN TEXTILE INDUSTRY
Gearing for Makeover
Demand among the Consumers
Mexico is currently trying to endeavor itself as not only the best textile producer but also adding value to its production methods and strategies. It is trying to focus on Customer satisfaction at affordable costs. The Mexican industry wishes to deliver short period access, reduced language obstructions, minimal cultural differences, and a wide variety of products. The workers are learning new expertise, and companies are diverting their mindset from production of yarn and fabric to finished garment products. In the last five years the textile industry has invested $2bn in textile machinery and equipment according to ProMxico. ProMxico is the Mexican government institution in charge of taking care of Mexico’s trade nationally and internationally. Anyhow, Mexico still has the largest bunch of export share in US markets followed by Canada, Colombia, and China, as per ProMxico. It is still one of the major employers in the economy.
Mexican economy is completely dependent on US. The domestic demand greatly depends on the earnings and remittances to the economy by US. This also affects it negatively if US trade goes negative. The consumer confidence Index also shows a decline from 77th rank to 87th. But Mexico is still among the top global apparel markets, offering numerous avenues for the retailers. Despite of all odds and Mexico’s import share in the retail market been growing significantly, it still maintains a positive trade balance. Mexicans now try to be in line with the current fashion and trends pertaining to customers’ tastes and preferences.
MEXICAN TEXTILE INDUSTRY
Conclusion In Mexico, the industry continues to struggle as US importers have shifted orders to China and other low cost Asian countries. In the first half of 2009 alone, Mexican textile and clothing exports declined by 17.5% after falling by 6.2% in 2008. This skirmishing between Mexican and Chinese Textiles and Apparels market is expected to be a healthy one and Mexico badly needs the renaissance.
�The craft industry takes a social dimension within communities, through initiatives that invite women to organize themselves into cooperatives to better defend their know-how.�
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THE DECLINE OF INDIGENOUS TEXTILES Mexican textiles have existed for more than 7000 years, but now in many villages’ traditional embroidered blouses, back strap woven huipiles, loomed quechquemitls and belts are worn only by the grandmothers. Mexico's indigenous textile culture is in danger of extinction. The embroidered designs on blouses and huipiles are particular to specific towns and ethnic groups. The textiles identifies the groups and villages that various textiles come from, sometimes it is ribbons or the way they comb their hair. The 7000 years old time line ends with these grandmothers. These wonderful colorful textiles link the indigenous peoples with culture and cosmovison of their native culture. As grandmothers, daughters and granddaughters sit with other family members to make the garments they discuss style, techniques but something else more important, behaviors, customs of marriage, child birth, the herbs used for healing, how to make a tamales etc. These links are lost staring into the one eyed Cyclops that is the TV or washing floors in the DF.
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DECLINE OF INDIGENOUS TEXTILE
When Cortez came to Mexico almost all the women wove cloth for garments and ceremonial use. It is natural that these talents gradually disappeared in the face of European machine made goods and now over time the Asian dynamo and its inexpensive clothing. However it is not natural that the long cultural heritage of Mexico indigenous textiles be abandoned to the scrap heap of history, not without some sort of attempt to conserve this incredible rich cultural treasure. The Spanish in all their colonial institution drilled into the population that to be an Indian was the bottom of the heap. These conquered people have been passed down from the Spanish to the Mestizo population that now rules Mexico. This mestizo population has continued the discrimination of the Spanish towards the “indios� , It is no wonder that most Indians want to leave that part of them selves behind. Below are some of the principal factors leading to the decline of the use and manufacture of indigenous textiles in Mexico. They are personal observations based on an intensive 6 year study of the pueblos de Mexico.
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DECLINE OF INDIGENOUS TEXTILE
Globalization Around the world indigenous cultures are under pressure from the forces of modernization and globalization. In Mexico, years of government neglect and a persistent racism have created an economic desperation which has forced generations of men and women to flee the poverty of their communities. These indigenous people immigrate to the big cities of Mexico and the USA. Traditional dress marks them as indigenous, and in a society where being an “indian� puts you at the bottom of the social ladder, that is not good. So for decades, as people leave the communities, they leave behind their ancestral knowledge of how to weave, embroidered and the social identity that the Mexican indigenous textiles and language provide. Road building has created a really fast way for the indigenous population to abandon their villages for a better life just about anywhere else. With the introduction of the internet TV and printed material, into these small communities the spread of western fashion has been accelerated.
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DECLINE OF INDIGENOUS TEXTILE
Immigration A steady increase in the indigenous population and the child survival rate has led to increased migration from the villages to the cities in Mexico and the US. Recently in the Sierra Zongolica the operator of a ECO tourism center with support from the CDI and other government institution left to go the US to pick oranges for a year. In every village, without exception, people migrate to the US out of desperation, true they sometimes send money back to support the town festival but they return with ideas of modernization. Traditional dress is viewed as a marker of the old ways. They almost never wear traditional clothing again and in some cases there wives give it up also to be modern. In Santiago Mexquitlan this woman was photographed in traditional dress in January 2005 , when returning to deliver her photos 6 months later , she no longer was wearing her costume ( uniform) . When asked why, she said that she worked in Toluca and no one wore costume there and if she wore her costume, they ( the mestizos) would stare and laugh at her.Â
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DECLINE OF INDIGENOUS TEXTILE
Rebellion of youth Who are the Cholos , no it is not another indigenous group, well not a historical one, they are young men and women who have left the village to work either in Mexico City or the US and return dressed as gang members who resent or hate their culture. They influence the younger kids by bad example. Recently in some Totonacan towns in the Sierra Norte of Mexico I obeservfed a group of 20, some with spiked hair, dressed in black with pierced tongues and noses, they seem like they landed there from another planet. A village elder said to me that they come home and act badly and “se sienten hombre” which means they feel like men. Some years ago in Santa Anna Hueytlalpan, Hidalgo I noticed a black wrap skirt hanging on a cloths line. Inside the compound there were young women washing and chattering, we struck up a conversation. The conversation gradually drifted to the black wrap skirt, it turned out to be their grandmothers. I asked if they had one, with a tone of ridicule in their voices they said they would never wear that since it made them look like grandmothers. In the embroidery town of Zoatecpan, Xochitlan de VS, Puebla I was shocked to see the rapid transition among the younger women. Only 4 years ago it seemed the 80% of the people in town wore a traditional blouse. This Christmas at the town’s festival the number was down to 50% or less. The daughter of the head of the textile co-operative was wearing modern clothing, why I asked. She replied that she didn’t like it. On the floor in the living room was a magazine of TV stars.
Cholos
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DECLINE OF INDIGENOUS TEXTILE
Media On any given day there is not a word about indigenous communities or their customs in main stream media. TV is almost entirely filled with reasons not to wear indigenous clothing as can be seen on almost all Telenovelas, Just imagine a woman , who after 35 years gets a TV and watches “Rubi” all they can think about is how ugly, fat, poor and forgotten they are and how much they want to be someone else. . Outside of Channel 22 and 11 both public educational channels there is not a word about indigenous people, almost nothing about indigenous dress and sometime the only visual hint that there are 15 million indigenous people in Mexico is a vase or some sort of handicraft as a prop on the studio set. In the Casas de Cultural we can find a smattering of presentations dedicated to indigenous peoples and there crafts and the Museum of Arte Popular does a reasonable job of presenting these forgotten people. As with many other social and cultural events in Mexico the presence of these shows that occur all over Mexico City and beyond are under reported. Some times take the metro and get off at every stop to see what notices have been posted.
TV show “Rubi”
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DECLINE OF INDIGENOUS TEXTILE
Garment substitutions In the early 1970 during the heyday of hippie Peasant wear fad, I exported 10000 garments a month. These were gathered from all over Mexico and shipped them to Nuevo Laredo where my friend Caesar would consolidate and drive the goods into the US. One day I arrived to do my customs entry and he had on the most stunning Guayabera shirt. Since I was buying Gauyabera shirts wholesale at $15 from the Yucatan it peaked my interest. “Hey Caesar , where did you get that amazing shirt. “ He replied “got it in Laredo for 7 dollars, it is made in Taiwan” I will never forget that and what it meant for textiles from Mexico, this was 1972. In the town of Huehuetla Hidalgo , Maria
a Tepehua weaver makes 4 quechquemitls a year they sell for 1000 pesos. That is out of the reach of all but a few people in the town. Compounding the issue she is the only weaver left that can weave a quechquemitl. A recent survey of Tepehua women who wear the quechquemitl had the count at 80 women, by the time I saw the survey 2 had died… In the Totonacan towns along the Trans Serrano highway, an embroidered blouse cost $70- 150 pesos, the Totonaca belt cost $600 and the skirt and slip cost 250 . In the Tuesday market 2 blouses, a skirt and a sweater made in Asia cost 250 pesos. I have seen jeans for as low as 70 pesos.
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DECLINE OF INDIGENOUS TEXTILE
Loss of heritage skills In the town of Huehuetla Hidalgo , Maria a Tepehua weaver makes 4 quechquemitls a year they sell for 1000 pesos. That is out of the reach of all but a few people in the town. Compounding the issue she is the only weaver left that can weave a quechquemitl . Marias daughters wear western cloths, spea Tephua and do not know how the weave the quechquemitl. Maria says that it is to much work for them to weave. In San Miguel Ameyalco , Lema , about 30 minutes from the DF , there are a small number of weaver that use ancestral skill to produce no indigenous crafts for sale. Some years ago the town was famous for ayates used for agricultural purposes. When I first met Maria de Jesus she lamented the she knew 750 designs on the back strap loom but her daught was taught in some
handicraft scool how to make pictures from colored straw. So when Maria passes away those designs will pass away also In the Mixtec weaving communities along the coast, traditional costume is confined to the oldest generation. Weaving skill have been past on and there is a large number of women dedicated to weaving , using traditional methods but not no many traditional garments. There are also garments made to look like traditional but were never worn or used before. Tamazulapan Mixe – there has been a rapid decline in the peop0le wearing the white huipil and the dark blue wrap skirt, this in turn as reduced the number of weavers who make these items. Some have turned to making rebosos for resale.
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DECLINE OF INDIGENOUS TEXTILE
Quality degradation When I lived in Ocotlan De Morelos Oaxaca in the 1970 many Zapotec women work the famous San Antonio wedding dress, but not as a dress it was used as an undershirt. During the late 1960’s and through the 1970’s the style of embroidery was made into a dress. The Zapotec embroiderers of the day had a polish skill and the dress actually had some cultural meaning. Today the sad quality of these dresses leave a person that has seen and knows the classic blouse or dress when only a glimmer of its past glory. They continue to sell but the younger generation no longer uses them. From time to time an older woman will make one for her daughter to wear but the classics are not history. The quechquemitls from Chachahuantla, Puebla, were originally a hand knotted lace, they then moved to a commercial material with heavy machine embroidery, recently the women have been switching over to a solid store bought gauze quechquemitl.
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DECLINE OF INDIGENOUS TEXTILE
Changes in materials It is almost impossible to find 100% cotton material in any indigenous blouse and even in traditional huipil synthetic fiber is slipping in. There are a few reasons for this cotton cost more than cotton/synthetic blends and colors are faster in the synthetic yarns. The yarns can also be embroidered 2 or 3 x faster than the traditional cotton thread and this makes the blouses easier to commercialize. In many cases the quechquemitl is a key indicator of how things are going , among the Totonacan women of the Sierra Norte of Puebla , hand woven or knotted quechquemitls have been entirely replace with store bought lace. Only 10 years ago the quechquemitls of store bough lace had embroidery on them . In the municipality of Zongozotla I noticed a fashion transformation happening, instead of the white store bought lace some women were using colored lace for their quechquemitls. The thing is that the white lace was a direct descendent of the back strap woven cotton quechquemitl which is also white. The quechquemitl made from colored machine made lace losses that connection.
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Sampler, Encarnación Castellanos, 1850, Mexico. Bequeathed by A. F. Kendrick. Museum no. T.92-1954. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
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Summary The movement of indigenous people towards the main stream of Mexican Society is well underway, the education system, government programs, road building, TV and immigration all play their part. The long history of discrimination and marginalization plays a large part in the desire NOT to be viewed as indigenous by the younger
generation. These young people relate more to modernism as an escape, than to ancestral duties and customs. So they gladly change from poor Indians to poor Mexicans, they do this by not speaking the ancestral language, not dressing in indigenous specific ways and denying thier heritage.
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�Passion is the bridge that leads you from pain to change�
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INNOVATIONS IN TEXTILE Textile manufacturing has a long history in Mexico, but it’s also an industry that continues to innovate. Take Levi Strauss & Co., for example. In 2018, the country piloted automation technology to speed the finishing of its denim products. Through this introduction, being rolled out worldwide this year, the company found distressing denim by laser could shorten the process from 20
minutes to 90 seconds. “With the automation of manufacturing, nearshoring of denim sourcing to Mexico becomes cost-competitive,” noted the McKinsey report that outlined this technology introduction. Of course, this type of innovation only grows the company’s presence in the country. As of 2018, Levi Strauss & Co. had more than 20 facilities under various brand
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INNOVATIONS IN TEXTILE
names manufacturing apparel, accessories, and footwear from Baja California to Queretaro, feeding demand for its product across the Americas. Levi is hardly alone in finding cost benefits to manufacturing in Mexico. In 2018, Mexico exported approximately USD $6.95 billion worth of textiles, mainly to the United States (77%). It was a 7.5% increase
from 2017 export levels of $6.46 billion. Since the first Mexican textile factory was established in Puebla in 1830, the industry has evolved considerably. One thing that hasn’t changed: Mexico supports textile and apparel manufacturers in creating quality products at cost-effective rates.
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Speed-to-market benefits Manufacturers servicing the retail industry know that lead time is everything. Fashion changes in the blink of an eye and today’s trend is tomorrow’s overstock. That’s a leading reason nearshoring becomes particularly attractive for apparel manufacturers. However, nearshoring also provides tremendous cost savings. It’s the
comparatively lower shipping cost of freight that’s pushing many apparel companies to move manufacturing from China and other southeast Asian countries to Mexico. As global consultant McKinsey puts it in its State of Fashion 2019 report, “Nearshoring works where full onshoring doesn’t… From a landed-cost perspective, it
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is becoming more attractive for production to move closer, but not to come all the way home. But the real prize is shorter lead times.” By increasing speed-to-market, manufacturers can produce apparel that is more closely in line with demand. This reduces costly overstocking and increases full-price
sell-through, the McKinsey report notes. While manufacturers across many industries are beginning to shift their global footprint to more regionalized approaches, nearshoring becomes particularly important for textile and apparel manufacturers seeking low-cost production strategies.
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Industrial hubs provide economies of scale
The future of textile manufacturing in Mexico
Another strategy supporting manufacturers in Mexico is locating within an existing industrial hub. By selecting a site in an area where textile and apparel manufacturing is already strong, companies are able to leverage the benefits of an existing supply chain and experienced workers. The Mexican National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) reports that 63% of Mexico’s textile industry is concentrated in the central and northeastern parts of the country, with concentrations in Puebla, Mexico City, and the states of Mexico, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Jalisco, Queretaro, Coahuila, Sonora Guanajuato, Nuevo Leon, and San Luis Potosi. In these areas, companies can gain greater efficiency by operating within a manufacturing community. These communities go well beyond traditional industrial parks by offering Class A industrial space alongside shelter services, employee training, and amenities that help with recruitment efforts.
As more apparel and textile companies discover the advantages of manufacturing in Mexico, they’ll find greater support from the existing supply chain. As another example of this support, Yucatán recently became home to the country’s first design, innovation and prototyping lab for the fashion industry. Indumental provides tools and services to support the growth of fashion brands. Among its offerings is a digital textile printing machine and research on industry trends. The lab was created out of an investment from the state government, the National Council of Science and Technology, and private sector support. The goal of the lab is to strengthen the competitive power of small and medium-sized businesses, support major brands looking to work with technology partners, and further grow the sector as a job provider.
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However, technology isn’t the only driver moving this industry forward. Mexico has long been attractive for foreign direct investment as a result of the ease of doing business with other countries. In fact, Mexico holds more free trade agreements than any other country. Its latest trade agreement — the recently ratified United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) — only serves to support the textile industry. New provisions under USMCA limit rules that had under NAFTA allowed for the use of some non-NAFTA inputs in textile and
apparel trade. This becomes good news for Mexico-based textile industry suppliers by making the industry a more cost-effective alternative to suppliers in China. USMCA also lays out provisions requiring sewing thread, pocketing fabric, narrow elastic bands, and coated fabric, when incorporated in most apparel and other finished products, to be made in the region of their finished products to qualify for trade benefits. This change presents an opportunity for further expansion of the local supply chain to support apparel manufacturing.
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An industry poised for growth Textiles and apparel may not be Mexico’s largest exported sector, but they’re part of an industry with tremendous opportunity for further growth. As nearshoring becomes a more central part of companies’ growth strategies, we predict this sector will benefit tremendously from the support Mexico offers its foreign investors across a range of industries.
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