What Are “Synchronised Factories” and Could They Bring Jobs to Belize?

Last Friday, senior government officials from Belize and Mexico met at the Santa Elena border to discuss plans for economic cooperation between the two neighbouring countries.

One of the topics discussed is the creation of “synchronised factories”, where manufacturing operations would be split across both sides of the border, with Belize and Quintana Roo each playing complementary roles in producing and processing goods destined for the CARICOM market.

The talks also looked at transportation, with plans to connect Belize to Mexico’s Tren Maya rail system for both cargo and passenger movement. While agribusiness, agro-processing, manufacturing, and energy were all identified as sectors with real “industrial opportunity”.

Belize’s delegation included Narda Garcia, CEO in the Office of the Prime Minister; Neri Ramirez, CEO of the Corozal Free Zone; Lincoln Blake, Director of Investment Policy and Compliance; and representatives from the Economic Development Council, Foreign Affairs, and BELTRAIDE.

Mexico’s team featured senior officials from the Secretariat of Foreign Relations and the Quintana Roo government, including Carlos Imanol, Director General for Central America and the Caribbean, and Paul Carillo, Secretary of Economic Development.