Zacatecas: Mexico’s Mining Hub

The state of Zacatecas sits in the middle of mainland Mexico and is a part of the Mexican mining corridor with Chihuahua and Durango.

• Major Sectors In Zacatecas, Mexico
• Infrastructure & Logistics
• Zacatecas, Mexico Manufacturing Industries

As a national leader in gold, zinc, lead and copper production, Zacatecas foreign direct investment is heavily concentrated in this sector. Zacatecas was declared a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site for its rich culture, architecture and history. Mining, automotive and auto parts, and the agroindustry are the main manufacturing industries in Zacatecas, with aerospace proving to be a growth sector for the state.

Mining and the metallurgical industry have had a long history in the state going back to Spanish exploration of Mexico. Of the states in Mexico’s mining corridor, Zacatecas is the second largest contributor to Mexico’s pressure metal exports behind Sonora.

Of The Various Minerals And Metals Mined In The State, Zacatecas National Contribution Is:

• Lead: 58%
• Zinc: 49%
• Silver: 42%
• Gold: 17%
• Copper: 6%
• Additional contributions: mercury, bismuth, antimony, salt, quartz, kaolin, onyx, quarry stone, cadmium, and wollastonite.

Mexico is the world’s largest silver producer with over 78% of all exported precious metals going to the United States. The company, Fresnillo Plc, is the top producer of silver and the second producer of gold in Mexico, operating the largest underground mine in the world for the last 400 years in Zacatecas. The Canadian firm, Gold Corp, operates one of the largest open pit mines in the world in Peñasquito, Zacatecas.

The auto parts manufacturing industry in Zacatecas, Mexico is directly linked with the automotive manufacturing occurring in the surrounding states known as the El Bajio Region of Aguascalientes, Queretaro, San Luis Potosi, Nuevo Leon and Guanajuato. With 14 car assembly plants in these surrounding regions, Zacatecas has become a crucial link in the automotive manufacturing supply chain for central Mexico.

The Triumph Group, Inc. operates at 251,525 square foot facility for aerospace structures fabrication in the city of Calera in Zacatecas. Triumph worked with the government of Zacatecas and the Universidad Tecnológica del Estado de Zacatecas (UTEZ) to develop the Aerospace Center of Zacatecas (CAZ). The purpose of the CAZ is to offer engineering students training in aerospace technologies.