The National Council of the Maquiladora and Export Manufacturing Industry of Mexico (Index) reported this Tuesday that about 2,600 companies in the sector and 1.3 million families have been affected by a blackout that began over the weekend in several northern states of the country, leaving millions in losses.
The power cuts occurred because the extreme cold in Texas, United States, impeded the supply of gas from that country to its southern neighbor.
“We are having a very strong social impact in the sector,” said Luis Hernández. “Most of the losses will be reflected in the T-MEC issue. Right now it is on various desks of the American and Mexican federal government”, he added.
In addition to the economic impact, these types of events translate into uncertainty for corporations, specifically in investment plans, since they do not know when a similar situation is going to occur, in which the sector is not prepared to face it and is not there is an implementation plan with times, dates and people in charge that we can talk to.
In addition to the losses in the part of salaries and supplies, in the Index they anticipate affectations with their clients, as well as in the payment of overtime and additional transportation, so it is not yet possible to know the economic cost that these cuts will have.
“We have to understand that manufacturing in Mexico is the main economic engine we have. So, this energy issue has a very important social impact ”, Luis Manuel Hernández underlined.
Of the companies on the border, in Matamoros 100 of the companies are unemployed, highlighted the Index leader in the town, Rosalinda Torres.
Among the demands of the Index for the federal government is that there be better communication regarding cut-off dates and, thus, to be able to draw up plans so as not to interrupt production at the plants.
“With good coordination, with scheduled stoppages; With a responsible person in each region with whom we can coordinate, we can endure more. As long as that coordination does not occur, it is very difficult. We have to move more than a million people every day and for that we need plans,” said Juan Elyd of Index Nuevo Laredo.