Although the state’s export sector is mostly made up of textile maquiladoras, the business leader emphasized that the jewelry industry is the most valuable due to the value of the pieces it handles, as it regularly works with precious stones, as well as gold and silver.
“Many maquiladoras only assemble the pieces in Yucatán, while others cast the rings and earrings. And all these manufacturing processes are what enhance the final value of the product,” said the interviewee, who added that, of the 33 maquiladoras in the state, six are jewelry factories.
The business leader said that one of these companies brings diamonds from Canada, melts the stones, and sets the jewelry, then returns them to different international markets from Yucatán, such as India, England, the Netherlands, and other European nations.
Another company brings the pieces and sets them; that is, they don’t cast them, because they are dedicated to getting and polishing rings. In fact, “there’s a maquiladora here that makes NFL rings; the work they do is impressive. Another even makes the class rings for major universities like Oxford and Harvard.”
López Rodríguez noted that the jewelry industry employs 8,000 workers, who are distributed among the six maquiladoras located around Mérida. In addition, all products are exported by air, with extreme security measures, due to the value of the pieces being transported. He stated that they expect this industry to grow in the coming years, as the state offers security, peace of mind, a skilled labor force, and a competitive advantage unavailable anywhere else in the world. While China takes 40 days to ship its products to American soil, Yucatán does so in a week.
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