The Mexican industry of the modern type, on the whole, is in its infancy. Some of the old artisan industries continue to exist which not only provide for indigenous needs, but also work in the major centers by manufacturing many general purpose objects such as ropes of all kinds, mats, fans, baskets, pottery, saddles, hats, hand-woven fabrics, etc.

According to simplyyellowpages, large industry with modern methods and machinery has begun to develop in the last 40 years, thanks to strong customs protection and foreign capital. However, the lack of communications, the cost of transport and the fact that the coal deposits are eccentric, almost always far from the metal ore deposits and the major centers of the plateau, where the industries have sprung up, are detrimental to the development of industry. The coal deficiency was first tried to remedy with water energy, so industries have arisen especially in regions where rivers can provide the driving force, such as in the Puebla area, or where it is easy to feed plants with imported coal. from abroad, such as in the Veracruz area. In more recent times, however, the

According to the data provided by the Department of Statistics, the total capacity of the power plants already installed in 1931 rises, in round figures, to 500 thousand HP., Of which 300 thousand supplied by hydroelectric plants and the rest obtained with thermal plants; these are usually of rather low capacity, while those are often very strong, like the Necaxa plant which with its 60 thousand kW. it serves the lighting and industries of the capital. There is still a lack of methodical research on the country’s hydroelectric potential, but it is believed that it can supply more than 10 million HP., Of which the plants completed by 1930 represent just 4.2%. Thermoelectric energy can also be obtained in much greater quantities, given the availability of coal fields in the north-east and the enormous oil resources. Unfortunately, both the water energy of the natural waterfalls and the fossil fuels are far from the more inhabited regions of the southern plateau, but the large irrigation works will also be able to supply significant quantities of hydroelectric energy there.

For now, the cotton yarn and fabric industries are more developed, which in 1925 owned 266 factories and employed 40,300 workers. The most important textile centers are: the Federal District, which in 1924 had 107,257 spindles and 3172 looms, the state of Tlaxcala with 323,320 spindles and 1377 looms, the state of Puebla with 236,572 spindles and 9320 looms, and Veracruz with approximately 160,000 spindles. and 6400 looms.

The wool industry in 1924 had 32 factories with about 6000 workers, and in this too the first place belongs to the wool industry of the Federal District, followed by Guanajuato and Hidalgo.

The milling industry, the brewing of beer, which has very modern plants in the capital, in Toluca, in Monterrey and Orizaba, the iron and steel industry, already mentioned, which has its main center in Monterrey, have a notable development. numerous foundries for the processing of metal ores are located in the vicinity of the various mining districts and mechanical plants are located in the major cities.

Tobacco processing is widespread in all states, but the most important factories are in Puebla, Veracruz and especially in the capital, where the “El buen tono” factory, set up by a Frenchman, is one of the largest factories in the world. for the mechanical manufacture of cigarettes. There is also a dynamite factory in Gómez Palacio, near Torreón; the paper industry with a large plant in San Rafael, near Lake Texcoco, and 7 other smaller plants, tanneries, shoe manufacturing, glassworks, including a very modern one in Monterrey, etc.

Complete statistical data is lacking because industrial production was the subject of statistical surveys only after 1926; so here are the figures for 1927 and 1930.