Italian suppliers at the Monterrey exhibition
The ICE Agency and Amafond jointly organized Italy's national pavilion, where the participating companies are displaying machinery and technology. Italian Ambassador to Mexico Alessandro Modiano attended the opening ceremony and praised the inauguration on social media. He emphasized support for Italian businesses and the promotion of "Italian industrial machinery for foundries and industrial innovation."
Fundiexpo, which ANSA describes as Latin America's leading exhibition for the foundry and metallurgy sector, runs October 28-30, 2026, at Cintermex in Monterrey, Nuevo León. This is the 24th edition of the biennial International Foundry Industry Congress and Exhibition, following its 23rd edition in 2024.
Amafond, the Italian Association of Foundry Suppliers, was established in 1946. Its roughly 100 member manufacturers account for most of Italy's foundry-supply production, with products sold worldwide.
Mexico's role in Italian machinery exports
ICE Agency calculations using TDM data put Mexican imports of Italian foundry machinery at more than €41 million, giving Italy its position as the country's second-largest supplier.
Mexico is also the largest Latin American destination for Italy's exports of ACT machinery, according to the INGENIUM report presented by Confindustria's research center at a Made in Italy event in Mexico City. The category covers technology-intensive equipment emphasizing automation and advanced manufacturing. Mexico takes 45% of those exports to Latin America, ahead of Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru.
Modiano said Mexico receives nearly one-third of all Italian exports bound for Latin America. He added that industrial machinery makes up about 40% of that total, valued at more than €32.5 billion.
The ambassador also cited the modernization of the EU-Mexico Global Agreement as a framework driving stronger bilateral trade in automotive, advanced manufacturing, machinery and industrial technology. The updated agreement is set to remove tariffs on 99% of industrial and agricultural goods.
International participation and the next industry gathering
Germany has a national pavilion at Fundiexpo for the first time this year, bringing 13 exhibitors. The pavilion operates under the Foreign Trade Fair Programme of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, with support from VDMA Metallurgy & Thermoprocessing. GIFA Mexico is integrated into Fundiexpo as a key pavilion.
The previous Fundiexpo, held in Mexico City in 2024, occupied 16,000 square meters and attracted 339 exhibitors and more than 4,700 trade visitors. Of those exhibitors, 205 came from outside Mexico. Participation spanned 33 countries and included five international pavilions. Surveys recorded very satisfied ratings from 88% of exhibitors and 85% of visitors.
After Monterrey, the international metals industry will gather in Düsseldorf on June 21-25, 2027, for "The Bright World of Metals," bringing together the GIFA, METEC, THERMPROCESS and NEWCAST trade fairs.
