Latin America in the Spotlight

Thermoformed packaging in Mexico, plastic alternatives in Chile, and aseptic carton filling in Colombia have all made headlines in recent months.

The new PolyFlex facility in León, Mexico.

Nefab recently announced that PolyFlex — part of Nefab Group — is opening its doors in León, Mexico, and expanding its manufacturing capabilities to accelerate in-house production of heavy-gauge thermoformed packaging.

Courtesy of Nefab

Having majored in Latin American Studies at the University of Kansas — and having later reported on Brazil’s sugarcane ethanol market — I always enjoy writing about packaging developments in the region.

Generally speaking, Latin America is expected to garner attention as Donald Trump begins his second term as POTUS. Trump said post-election that he intends to impose a 25% tariff on all products coming into the United States from Mexico, which could definitely have ramifications for the packaging industry if enacted.

It will be interesting to watch the back-and-forth on tariffs and trade policy between Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. I remember seeing huge billboards promoting Sheinbaum for president when I visited Mexico City in January 2024. I wish I had snapped a photo of those billboards as a future reminder of Sheinbaum’s landslide victory in June 2024.

Politics aside, we at Packaging Strategies enjoy reporting on exciting packaging developments in Latin America, and lately there has been no shortage of news.

Nefab announced in October that PolyFlex — part of Nefab Group — is opening its doors in León, Mexico, and expanding its manufacturing capabilities to accelerate in-house production of heavy-gauge thermoformed packaging. As the first facility in Mexico to offer both heavy-gauge thermoformed and injection-molded packaging, the expansion positions Nefab to provide a full range of sustainable packaging solutions tailored to the Lithium-Ion battery (LiB), E-mobility, and automotive sectors. You can read the full story here.
Chile recently passed a law that will ban all single-use plastic in several fields, and the industry has been searching for materials that are non-plastic but feature all the characteristics of plastic. In a related development, Gaia Biomaterials has signed an agreement with Smart Pack S.A., a Saudi Arabia-based flexible packaging materials provider, making its plastic-alternative material, Biodolomer, available in Chile. You can read the full story here.
SIG has announced a groundbreaking partnership with Celema, an emerging player in the Colombian co-packing sector for beverages. Celema is the first company in Colombia to implement SIG's advanced aseptic carton filling technology. Production on the SIG Small 12 Aseptic was expected to start by the end of Q4 2024. You can read the full story here.

These are just a few examples of Packaging Strategies’ recent reporting on packaging developments in Latin America. We can’t wait to report on the many exciting packaging innovations and partnerships that are sure to arise in 2025.

Brad Addington
Chief Editor, Packaging Strategies
(248) 227-4727
addingtonb@bnpmedia.com

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Brad Addington is Chief Editor of Packaging Strategies and Flexible Packaging. He has more than 25 years of B2B publishing experience following the fresh produce industry, foodservice, retail, petroleum refining, petrochemicals, renewable fuels and sustainability. He and his family live in Spokane, Washington, and enjoy participating in regional triathlons and marathons. Brad majored in Journalism and Latin American Studies at the University of Kansas.