Macquilla, importing is easier than buying in Mexico. By Ramon Salcito. Many Macaladoras would prefer domestic suppliers of inputs, and obviously Mexican business owners would too. But the tax structure and regulations surrounding these companies prevent it. The obstacles to integrating domestic content are a cause, not a consequence. The question is, if they already know where the country is stuck, why aren't they taking action to change that? If Mexico could replace just one-tenth of the inputs its export industry currently imports, the national economy could generate hundreds of thousands of additional jobs. This isn't about closing the economy or abandoning global supply chains, but something much simpler, allowing more Mexican companies to participate in them. Mexico wants to increase the domestic content of its exports, but the country's own fiscal and administrative design continues to make it easier to import components than to buy them from Mexican suppliers. Mexico has established itself as an exporting powerhouse. In recent years alone, the country has positioned itself among the world's leading manufacturing exporters, with foreign sales exceeding$600 billion annually and strong integration with the United States market. However, behind that impressive figure lies a less celebrated reality. A considerable part of the value of what Mexico exports is actually produced outside the country. The Mexican export model, especially in the maculadora industry, has been built for decades on a relatively simple logic. Import components, assemble them and then re-export them. And there is a lot of boasting about something that doesn't make sense. Chihuahua is a major exporter, it is said, when in reality only labor is added to imported inputs, which then gain value as a finished product. This system has generated employment, attracted foreign investment, and consolidated industrial corridors along the northern border. However, it has also resulted in a production structure where the domestic content of many exports remains limited. Paradoxically, the problem doesn't lie solely in the lack of Mexican suppliers capable of integrating into these supply chains. In many cases, the country's own tax and administrative regulations end up favoring the import of inputs over the purchase of components manufactured in Mexico. Thus, the system that promotes exports ends up, at the same time, hindering the incorporation of greater national value within them. The most common obstacles. One of the main obstacles to integrating more domestic suppliers into Mexican exports lies in the very fiscal design of the IMEX program. Macualadora companies can temporarily import inputs without paying VAT or tariffs, provided the final product is exported. However, when they purchase components from Mexican suppliers, they must pay VAT and subsequently wait for a credit or refund. This simple detail creates a clear incentive. In many cases, it is fiscally easier to import parts from abroad than to acquire them within the country. Added to this is the administrative complexity of the mechanisms created to facilitate national purchases. When a Mexican supplier sells to a Maquiladora, the operation must often be registered as a virtual export, which involves customs declarations, inventory controls, and document coordination between companies. Furthermore, to operate with the tax benefits of the program, special certifications granted by the tax administration service are required, which demand administrative controls and audits that many small and medium-sized enterprises are not in a position to comply with. Finally, the program's regulatory regime is designed primarily to control temporary imports, not to encourage the integration of domestic suppliers. This entails strict traceability rules, deadlines for the return of goods, and constant tax audits. Faced with the risk of audits or penalties, many companies choose to maintain simple import procedures within their global supply chains. Thus, paradoxically, the system that drives the country's export success ends up hindering the incorporation of more national content in those same exports. In these times of uncertainty and unemployment, the government should step up its efforts to support domestic businesses so they can succeed. If these businesses thrive, they will generate jobs and billions in tax revenue.