Mexico Urged by US to Boost Chip Production Within Two Years
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken listens to Mexican Foreign Secretary Alicia Barcena speak at the State Department in Washington, DC, on July 17.
Photographer: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty ImagesMexico must ramp up investment in the semiconductor industry in the next two years in order to avoid losing ground to competitor countries, with guarantees needed that companies will have sufficient water and energy, said a top US aid official in Mexico.
States in northern and central Mexico that already have electronics production are best equipped to receive new investment in the sector in the short-term, with Mexico positioned to participate in the lower-cost area of the production chain including testing and assembly, said Jene Thomas, USAID’s Director of Mission in Mexico. Last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with counterparts from nations including Mexico to push for Latin America to boost its role in the industry.