The Americas Economy

Economic expansion in the north-central state of Guanajuato outpaced that of the nation as a whole in 2017, registering GDP growth of 4.5%, compared with Mexico’s rate of 2.1%. Overall, Guanajuato reported the sixth-highest increase in per capita GDP of any state in Mexico between 2013 and 2016. The state’s per capita GDP increased by 5% over...

For decades the state government has prioritised the development of the automotive industry, and these efforts have led to it becoming a vital sector for Guanajuato. As such, it is now recognised as one of Mexico’s great economic success stories. “Until 1991, when General Motors arrived in Silao, the state’s economy was mainly based on...

Of all the sectors deemed as strategic for Hidalgo’s economic development, chemicals and pharmaceuticals are perhaps the least explored territory. Unlike the well-known centres of Guadalajara and Cuernavaca, Hidalgo did not have any pharmaceutical laboratories, for example, when the current government took office in 2016.

In addition to significantly expanding its manufacturing base, Guanajuato has also come a long way in building upon its roots in agriculture. For centuries Guanajuato has hosted a range of agricultural activities, with the sector traditionally being the primary source of income for much of the state. Over the last 20 years in particular many...

Since the beginning of its industrial history, innovation has played a major role in Hidalgo’s development. It was in Pachuca that Bartolomé de Medina discovered the so-called patio process, which uses mercury amalgamation to extract silver from ore, back in 1554. This innovation would go on to be used in the global mining industry for 300...