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NOVEMBER 2025 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 31 The Mercedes-Benz tagline is a call to action. Women have rebuilt nations, advanced science, and shaped markets. In electronics, they are already driving transformation from the assembly line to the C-suite. Our mission must be to create pathways where women's skills, ideas, and leadership aren't rare, but standard. The question isn't whether women can lead in electronics—it's whether companies are ready to let them lead. Because when women are truly "one of many" in our industry, the world bene- fits from what they build. SMT007 Ada Gastelum is the former operations manager at Global Electronics Association Mexico. Negotiations over U.S.–Mexico trade policies reached the Oct. 29 deadline, and concurrently, the Global Electronics Association released a new poli- cy brief, "From Risk to Resilience: Why Mexico Mat- ters to U.S. Manufacturing." The report warns that proposed 30% tariffs on electronics imports from Mexico would fracture North American supply chains, raise costs for U.S. manufacturers, and un- dermine efforts to reshore production and strength- en domestic competitiveness. The report concludes that Mexico has developed into a full-fledged production hub within the North American ecosystem, drawing on a diversified global network of suppliers. Data shows that Mexi- co's imports from China have declined significantly since 2017, with sourcing shifting to Vietnam, South Korea, Taiwan, and the European Union. The Association emphasized that maintaining a strong trade partnership with Mexico is a top prior- ity for manufacturers on both sides of the border. Many of its members report that U.S.–Mexico trade is their single most important policy issue. The re- port underscores that many electronics systems and components cross the U.S.–Mexico border mul- tiple times before final as- sembly, reflecting deeply in- tegrated supply chains that support competitiveness, jobs, and security across the region. The release of the re- port comes at a critical mo- ment: the current extension for U.S.–Mexico trade ne- gotiations expired on Oct. 29, and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) is accepting pub- lic comments on the United States–Mexico–Cana- da Agreement (USMCA) through Nov. 3. The Glob- al Electronics Association will submit formal com- ments on behalf of the industry and plans to testify at the USTR's public hearing on Nov. 17. The Association urges policymakers to finalize a bilateral trade agreement that preserves tariff-free access, strengthens enforcement, and reinforc- es Mexico's role as a co-builder of North American manufacturing resilience. (Source: Global Electronics Association) Electronics Industry Warns Mexico Tariffs Could Undercut U.S. Manufacturing and Supply Chain Resilience