Mexico: New Sales Office in Querétaro
Alongside automotive, the focus is shifting to wine imports, plastic exports, and aeronautics.
Since early August, a. hartrodt México now has a sales office in Querétaro, where Branch Manager Markus Felix gives local support to customers in the economically strong Bajío region. “In Mexico, personal contact, appreciation, and trust are crucial for strong business relationships,” says the 26-year-old, who joined a. hartrodt in Hamburg in August 2019. Thanks to his apprenticeship and dual bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management, he has a solid foundation of expertise. After a year as Sales Executive in Mexico City, he is now focused on “growing in the long term and further diversifying our business.”
Strong automotive sector in the Bajío region
For a. hartrodt México, the automotive sector – which has a strong presence in the central Bajío region – remains the most important. BMW and its suppliers, among others, have been established in San Luis Potosí, while Volkswagen operates an engine plant in Guanajuato. According to the German-Mexican Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Mexico is the world’s seventh-largest car manufacturer and fourth-largest automotive parts supplier. Its main markets are the U.S. and Mexico.
Business expansion into new industries and markets
Currently, tariffs, geopolitical tensions, and new players are fundamentally transforming the Mexican automotive market. Therefore, Malte Schumann, Managing Director at a. hartrodt México, aims to expand the business into new industries and markets. One focus is on air and sea freight within Latin America. He cites wine imports from Argentina and Chile as examples. “We also handle plastic exports to Peru, Colombia, and Bolivia,” he reports. In Querétaro, the aerospace sector centered around the Airbus plant also offers growth opportunities. “We don’t want to become too dependent on one market,” Markus Felix says, outlining his goal.
Free trade agreements such as the USMCA for North America or the modernized Global Agreement with the EU facilitate Mexico’s foreign trade. In addition, there is a domestic market of 131 million people. Markus Felix expects that he will need additional staff at the Querétaro office in early 2027.