Canacintra Nacional Signs Strategic Alliance to Join the Binational Strategy of Rio South Texas Region

This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishes a cooperation framework between CANACINTRA and the Council for South Texas Economic Progress (COSTEP) to develop joint activities, programs, and projects that promote competitiveness, investment, trade, training, and institutional strengthening in the Rio South Texas Region.

Through this alliance, COSTEP and CANACINTRA NACIONAL become a bridge connecting the Rio South Texas Region with Canacintra delegations across Mexico, which will now have COSTEP as a facilitator and guide for companies seeking entry into the United States.

With the goal of boosting investment attraction and strengthening supply chains between South Texas and Northern Mexico, the Council for South Texas Economic Progress (COSTEP) and the National Chamber of the Transformation Industry (Canacintra Nacional) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish a binational collaboration framework that promotes synergies enhancing productivity, innovation, and cross-border trade with the Rio South Texas Region.

The signing ceremony took place at Canacintra’s national headquarters, led by Esperanza Ortega, National President of Canacintra, and Adam Gonzalez, CEO of COSTEP, who emphasized the strategic potential of the Rio South Texas Region, which includes seven counties in South Texas and ten municipalities in Northern Tamaulipas. “Our region is not just a bridge between two countries, it’s a destination ready for investment. We have more than 60 years of history as a manufacturing region and the right conditions to compete globally,” he stated.

In her remarks, Esperanza Ortega said that the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) represents a real opportunity to position the region as an attractive destination for global capital. “There’s no time to lose. Technology and artificial intelligence have already surpassed us, and the only way forward is through strategic alliances like this one.”

Connecting for Binational Development

Adam Gonzalez explained that COSTEP acts as a connection point between global investors and local players on both sides of the border. “We are a nonprofit, non-political organization that facilitates a soft landing for new companies through alliances with legal, educational, logistics, and industrial firms. We don’t arrive alone—we arrive with solutions,” he emphasized.

“We have over 40 economic development organizations in South Texas. COSTEP works to unify them and present a single face to the world. This simplifies the process for investors and maximizes impact across our region,” Gonzalez added. He also noted that collaborating with institutions in Northern Tamaulipas allows for true integration of efforts.

With a network of sponsors that includes banks, accounting firms, staffing agencies, and logistics operators—and without receiving public funds—COSTEP has built an independent and efficient economic development model. Additionally, its proximity to strategic projects like the Port of Brownsville, the Port of Matamoros, and the Starbase aerospace site positions the region as a high-potential logistics and technology hub.

“South Texas and Northern Tamaulipas are more than geography; they are a binational region with a shared purpose. We are ready to attract investment and bring development to our communities,” concluded Adam Gonzalez.

COSTEP also supports the creation of strategic clusters, such as the Rio South Texas Region Binational Autocluster, which aims to position the region as a key hub for the automotive industry. It also promotes the region through international missions to Europe, Asia, and North America. “We are building the border of the future. Our commitment is to accelerate the path for companies looking to invest—and let them know they have allies here,” emphasized Gonzalez.

Strategic Alliance for Industry

Esperanza Ortega pointed out that the collaboration seeks to encourage investment attraction and retention, as well as supplier development and training for SMEs on both sides of the border. “We have a skilled workforce, logistics infrastructure, and trade agreements that we must capitalize on. With this alliance, we aim to design binational training programs that respond to the specific needs of industries already established in the region,” she stated.

Among the areas of collaboration outlined in the memorandum are the promotion of binational commercial integration—facilitating market access for affiliated companies—and the strengthening of industrial connections between Mexican companies and those in the Rio South Texas Region.

For Canacintra members, having an organization like COSTEP represents a strategic advantage, as it will offer specialized support to help them enter the U.S. market and commercialize their products in a structured and efficient way.

The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding was also attended by Lourdes Medina, Vice President of Industry Sectors and Branches at Canacintra; Jaime Guerra, National Vice President of Nearshoring; Guillermo Lash, National Vice President of Maquiladoras and Border Zones; and Sergio Gracia, CEO of Mexico Industry, who has worked on industrial linkage along the border. All served as witnesses to the signing. They emphasized the need for greater coordination between the private sector and economic development organizations to seize nearshoring opportunities.

Finally, Ortega concluded: “This memorandum is not a symbolic gesture. It is a concrete tool to transform Mexico’s economic reality from our regions. United, we can become strategic global suppliers.”