In his appearance before the Senate, the Secretary of Economy of the Federal Government, Marcelo Ebrard, acknowledged that sales at the Guerrero Negro Salt Export Company (ESSA) have not yet reached the levels reported before the company’s nationalization.
In 2024, ESSA registered a sharp drop in salt sales, placing 4.2 million tons on the market, compared to an average of six to eight million tons sold annually.
For 2025, the Secretary of Economy confirmed that 4.8 million tons of salt have already been sold, representing a slight increase compared to 2024; however, this is still below the average sales level prior to nationalization.
In this context, Marcelo Ebrard stated that a plan is being developed for 2026 with the objective of increasing ESSA’s logistical capacity and strengthening its independence in marketing.
It was in February 2024 that the then-President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, announced an investment of 1.5 billion pesos to acquire the 49% stake in ESSA held by Mitsubishi, thus completing the nationalization of the salt company.
However, since this announcement, various irregularities in the sale and distribution of salt have been documented. Last year, it was confirmed that approximately five million tons of the product were stranded without being sold in Guerrero Negro and Isla de Cedros.
The Secretary argued that the purchase of ESSA was necessary because abuses in the intermediation process had been detected, noting that the private company was taking the lion’s share of the profits.
He explained that by making this change, which resulted in the Mexican government becoming the sole owner of the exporting company, the marketing firm was removed. Currently, they are in the process of opening their own market and creating the logistical infrastructure to replace it.
Source: oem
