MEXICO CITY, May 12 (Xinhua) -- General Electric (GE) on Friday said it is looking to double its purchases from Mexican suppliers in 2018.
GE's president, Jeffrey Robert Immelt met with Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto during the inauguration of the expansion of the company's global operations center in Mexico's industrial capital of Monterrey, in Nuevo Leon state, according to a statement from Mexico's presidency.
The expansion was designed to simplify and automate processes to boost the company's productivity in Mexico and Latin America, Immelt said.
The electric appliance maker has been a strategic partner in Mexico's industrial development for more than a century, Pena said.
The company's show of confidence in Mexico comes just months before the country starts negotiations with the United States to update the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
U.S. President Donald Trump wants to secure a better deal for U.S. industry and workers, and until recently said he was willing to quit NAFTA unless a renegotiated agreement meets his demands.
GE first established operations in Mexico in 1896, and today employs 11,000 people at 17 manufacturing plants, five service centers, an advanced engineering center and the global operations center.
