Mexico accelerates the development of the glass industry

China Glass Cross-border will participate in Glasstech Mexico 2025 from July 16 to 18, 2025, and join hands with Chinese glass companies to jointly expand the Mexican market. Xiaobo will take you to understand the opportunities in the Mexican market, as follows, Enjoy:

In recent years, Mexico is accelerating the development of its glass industry due to the growing trend of nearshoring, i.e., the redeployment of global value chains. The migration of global supply chains will provide a demand for high-quality glass for many companies looking to expand into local markets.



Mexico has the potential to be one of the main beneficiaries of nearshoring. However, to seize this opportunity, Mexico needs to make improvements in several areas, one of which is to further develop its glass industry. According to some local analysts, the election of Claudia Sheinbaum as the new president – she is a prominent Mexican politician and the first woman to hold the presidency – an event that should help drive a more positive development of the country's glass industry and increase domestic production capacity.



The history and growth potential of the glass industry in Mexico



Glassmaking in Mexico began in 1542, when a Spanish entrepreneur built a furnace in the Puebla region of the east-central region to use large amounts of energy to produce glass products for export. By 1547, Puebla became the only producer of glass in New Spain, and its glass began to be exported to Guatemala and Peru.



According to experts from the Mexican Ministry of Economy, the glass industry today is still one of the fastest-growing sectors of industrial production in Mexico, and Mexico has become one of the main markets for glass production in the region. During the pandemic, Mexico's glass industry experienced a sharp decline in production that could not meet the needs of major consumer industries. However, the situation has changed in recent years, and the industry has now returned to pre-pandemic production levels.



According to data from the National Statistical Catalogue of Economic Units, the Mexican glass industry is currently made up of more than 980 companies of various sizes. Glass production centers in Mexico are mainly concentrated in the states of Mexico, Jalisco and Puebla. The city of Monterrey remains an important city for Mexico's glass industry and maintains its leadership throughout the Northeast, thanks to its extensive involvement in the beer production chain, automotive manufacturing and the construction industry. At the same time, glass production in other parts of Mexico has also increased significantly. Twenty years ago, there were large monopolies in the Mexican glass industry; Today, the industry is highly fragmented, and the presence of more small glass factories has led to an increase in supply, which has driven down costs and accelerated the operation of the industrial chain.



This change demonstrates the enormous growth potential of the Mexican glass industry, which is expected to continue to grow and occupy a more important position in the global market, driven by the restructuring of global supply chains and nearshoring.



As a result, most local analysts expect the Mexican glass industry to grow further in the coming years, supported by steady demand for glass from some of the country's major consumer industries. According to a new report published by Mexican research firm Informe de Expertos, the Mexican flat glass market is expected to grow by 3.88% between 2025 and 2027, mainly driven by growing demand from the automotive industry, the solar industry (solar panel manufacturing), and the electronics industry.



Growth plans of major manufacturers of flat glass in Mexico



The Mexican glass market has been a key focus for the world's largest companies, with many of the world's leading companies significantly strengthening their market position in the country over the past few years.



For example, Saint-Gobain (Saint-Gobain sees the Mexican glass market as one of its priority targets for growth in North America in the coming years. Saint-Gobain plans to increase its investment in the Mexican market in order to expand its product offering in the local market and further strengthen its leadership position in the glass industry.



"The market has been growing since last year, but [it has slowed down since the second quarter of 2024]. This is mainly due to the change of government, and the market usually pauses at this point and waits for [the stabilization of new expectations]," said Luiz Alberto Vega, spokesman for Saint-Gobain Latin America. "We strongly believe that Mexico's economy is booming and will take advantage of the nearshoring phenomenon and all the opportunities and growth it brings. The glass market in Mexico has a very bright outlook and will continue to invest in it. ”



Finally, according to the data presented during Glasstech Mexico 2024, the bulletproof glass industry will show a steady growth trend in the coming years. Due to the increasing concerns about public safety and security in the local market and the expanding application scenarios for this type of glass, the bulletproof glass industry will provide some additional growth opportunities for major players. With the increase in defense spending and the strong demand for residential buildings, the ballistic safety glass industry is expected to grow.



Sustainability and recycling remain challenges for the growth of the glass industry



While Mexico's glass industry continues to make progress and continue to grow, it still faces many significant challenges, especially when it comes to sustainability and recycling. According to Mexico's Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, only 12% of Mexico's more than 2.5 million tons of used glass containers are recycled, while plastic #1 (PET) has achieved a 60% recycling rate.



This is a challenge for the Mexican market, as there is still a gap to be filled in glass recycling, and the country lacks sufficient capacity to implement these recycling programs. According to local producers, another issue with glass recycling is the logistical support required. Analysts believe that although many Mexican citizens have begun to participate in glass recycling in recent years, there is currently not enough processing capacity to process such a large amount of recycled glass material.



Small glass compilation and arrangement