Plan Mexico: Why Mining Is a Natural Ally

On Jan. 13, 2025, President Claudia Sheinbaum presented to the country what she named the “Plan Mexico,” an economic and social development program with 13 clear goals. With this plan, Sheinbaum’s government seeks a more competitive and prosperous country.

The president said that the plan is based on three fundamental axes: strengthening the domestic market, import substitutions, and strengthening regional markets, with a clear focus on helping the Mexican economy to flourish in the coming years. She invited the businessmen and women of Mexico to think and act big, to work together on the “National Industrialization Strategy” that promotes fair trade and regional integration, and finally, to trust Mexico. In fact, during the presentation, the coordinator of the Regional Economic Development and Relocation Advisory Council (CADERR), Altagracia Gómez, invited those present, and all Mexican business owners, to invest, produce,consume, vacation, study, work – in simple terms, to pick and prioritize Mexico.

Included among the ambitious 13 long-term goals of Plan Mexico are that by the year 2030, our country should be one of the 10 biggest economies in the world; generate 1.5 million additional jobs; increase to 50% the domestic supply of the products consumed in Mexico, and have 15% the national content of domestically produced goods in global value chains; reduce the total time to solidify an investment in Mexico from 2.6 to one year by simplifying procedures; increase the number of graduated professionals and technicians by 150,000 per year; and other ambitious goals, such as ensuring corporate environmental sustainability; making Mexico one of the five most visited countries in the world; and ultimately decreasing poverty and inequality.

To this end, the president said that there is plan, tailor made for every state in Mexico, that includes a very specific schedule from January to April 2025, with monthly follow-up meetings to review private investments; a decree for the relocation (nearshoring) of companies;, the submission to the Mexican Congress of the new “National Law for the Simplification and Digitalization of Formalities and Procedures;” increasing electric consumption capacity by 27k megawatts; relaunching the “Made in Mexico” branch; and executing a covenant with the Mexican Central Bank and the National Banks Association to ensure the increase in access to financing for small and midsized companies by 3.5% annually. In addition to this schedule, the government claimed that theUSMCA with the United States and Canada will be kept valid and in place, helping the region to compete with other global players, such as China. 

In Sheinbaum’s words, “Plan Mexico” is a vision for the development of our country, including equitable and sustainable development, one of industrialization and economic growth, but above all, focused on the well-being of our people and for the benefit of everyone. 

This is great, and we all want this plan to succeed .One of the most strategic industries, and a natural ally for achieving these goals, is the mining industry. 

At least in the first draft of the full document that can be consulted at https://www.planmexico.gob.mx, the mining industry was not clearly included as a strategic sector, such as the aerospace or automotive industries; however, the document did describe that the activities identified as “strategic” would furthermore need to fall into one of the following categories: expansion of existing sectors, new production activities, or industrial import substitution. The document has an important disclaimer: the sectors that are expressly mentioned in the first draft of the plan are illustrative and not limited; and the Mexican government confirms that there is a comprehensive plan for the rest of the sectors.

Here is where we believe that both the Mexican government and the mining industry have a great opportunity ahead. 

For decades, the responsible mining industry has indeed already picked Mexico, has invested, has produced, has consumed, and has helped thousands of households to be able to vacation, to study, and to work in Mexico. Again, in simple words, the responsible mining industry has picked and prioritized Mexico.

It is a fact that we face many challenges as a country: reducing poverty, reducing migration levels, increasing employment rates, working for equity and social justice, and combating the negative impact on the environment, among others. These are just some examples of what countries and their governments work on every day in their institutional work. However, broader actions are required to provide an alternative and a real solution. 

This is why inviting and including the mining industry as a key player to achieve the long-term objectives of the Plan Mexico is so important, supporting and strengthening the Mexican mining industry, providing clear rules and a certain legal framework, allowing the flourishing and expansion of mining projects that address the causes of the region’s challenges, optimizing alliances and providing alternative solutions to structural problems that directly impact the well-being of the people in a given territory, including the communities around every mine in Mexico. 

 It is also important that the responsible mining industry raise its hand and its voice, and clearly and expressly support the idea behind this economic and social development program proposed by Sheinbaum. The mining industry is already a long-term industry, and it is a natural ally for the long-term goals of Plan Mexico. It is a team effort that could bring excellent results. We can make it happen. Let’s work together toward this goal.