Industrial growth in Saltillo and Ciudad Juarez is being driven by a series of economic and investment factors that have energized these regions in northern Mexico. Both cities are consolidating as strategic industrial development poles, with a strong demand for space, high occupancy rates and a constant flow of foreign investment.
In the Saltillo metropolitan area, the manufacturing sector is positioned as one of the main drivers of industrial growth. During the second quarter of 2024, the automotive and miscellaneous manufacturing industries generated gross absorption of more than 92 thousand square meters, with the delivery of pre-leased buildings, bringing net absorption to 134 thousand square meters and totaling 300 thousand square meters so far this year. This growth represents a 27% increase compared to the same period in 2023.
The Ramos Arizpe submarket has been particularly dynamic, concentrating 60% of demand during the first half of the year thanks to its proximity to the state capital and its logistics infrastructure. In addition, Saltillo's industrial inventory reached 4.7 million square meters at the close of 1H2024, with more than 292 thousand square meters in new developments. However, supply has not been sufficient to meet demand, which has reduced the vacancy rate to a historic low of 0.5%.
Coahuila, the state where Saltillo is located, has seen the creation of more than 21,000 new-equal jobs in the first months of 2024 and attracted more than 921 million dollars in foreign direct investment, mainly from the United States, Canada and China, an increase of 5.6% over the-registered year before.
On the other hand, Ciudad Juárez continues to stand out as an important industrial center, especially in the electronics, medical equipment manufacturing, and electrical component production sectors. During the second quarter of 2024, net absorption in Ciudad Juarez reached 15 thousand square meters, totaling 226,700 square meters so far this year. Although there was a slight moderation in quarterly absorption compared to previous records, the city has maintained 26 consecutive quarters of positive net absorption, demonstrating a stable and growing trend.
