Tijuana’s municipal government and the Index Zona Costa BC manufacturing association formally launched ACORDE, a voluntary business regularization program targeting the export manufacturing sector. Pedro Montejo Peterson, head of Tijuana’s Economic Development Secretariat (SEDETI), announced the program on March 23, calling it a compliance tool that favors dialogue over fines and closures.
150 Companies Enrolled, Export Sector Next
ACORDE (Acompañamiento y Cumplimiento para el Desarrollo Empresarial, or Accompaniment and Compliance for Business Development) first launched in May 2025. This new phase focuses on export manufacturers, a sector that sustains more than 230,000 direct jobs in Tijuana alone. Each of those positions generates an estimated three indirect jobs across the metropolitan area, which also includes Ensenada, Tecate, and Playas de Rosarito.
So far, 150 companies have enrolled. But participation among export manufacturers remains low: only 42 of 592 registered export firms had signed up as of early 2026. City officials plan to intensify outreach through local business chamber networks to close that gap.
Compliance Help Instead of Penalties
The program guides businesses through obtaining and updating operating licenses in four areas: environmental responsibility, civil protection, workplace safety, and municipal impact. Tijuana Mayor Ismael Burgueño Ruiz instructed SEDETI to prioritize institutional dialogue before resorting to sanctions, according to Montejo Peterson.
The stakes for non-compliance remain steep. Environmental violations alone can carry fines up to 1.17 million pesos ($65,000 USD). Businesses already operating without permits are excluded from the program, meaning ACORDE is designed for companies willing to self-regulate rather than those dodging enforcement entirely.
Manufacturing’s Weight in Baja California’s Border Economy
Tijuana sits just south of San Diego and ranks among Mexico’s top manufacturing hubs, with hundreds of maquiladoras producing electronics, medical devices, and aerospace components under the federal IMMEX program. The city’s municipal government has historically offered fiscal incentives, including reductions of 25% to 75% on municipal service fees, depending on investment levels.
ACORDE aims to bring the majority of Tijuana businesses into legal compliance before the current municipal administration ends. The city plans to expand outreach through Index Zona Costa BC and other industry groups in the coming months, as reported by Punto Norte and Tijuana en Línea.