RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The large companies of Brazil, Mexico, Chile, and Colombia are the protagonists of regional globalization and lead and top, by far, the ranking of the top 100 corporations that are projected to a global market.
This index, which is prepared annually, except in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic, by the magazine América Economía, clarifies that globalization does not stop and that Mexican and Brazilian companies are the most prepared and robust when it comes to establishing themselves in other markets.
The list, which measures the current degree and potential for the globalization of Latin American companies, places Mexico as the country in the area that projects its companies abroad the most.
Its authors point out that the participation by country remains very stable with respect to the previous edition. Mexican companies represent a third of the firms on the list (30), ahead of those from Brazil (28), Chile (23), and Colombia (10).
Argentina, Peru, and Panama contribute five, two, and one company. The rest of the markets did not manage to enter any of the top 100.
The ranking analyzes companies of Latin American origin and with relevant operations in at least two countries other than their own.
Its index is made up of four dimensions: commercial strength abroad (which contributes 25% of the indicator); employees abroad (25%) and degree of geographical coverage of the markets in which it operates (20%), weighted according to the geographical area by the difficulty of entry (Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania, and the Middle East, level 3; USA and Canada, level 2 and Latam, level 1).
The fourth vector, expansion potential (30%), considers total sales volume for the year, annual variation in the countries in which it operates, liquidity, and net margin in 2020.
MEXICO
Overall, the 100 ‘Multilatinas’ in the ranking make more than half of their total sales abroad. A slightly more than a third of their employees are hired outside their country of origin, reaching 1.1 million.
Mexico’s Orbia (formerly Mexichem) tops the ranking of ‘Multilatinas’: it has the broadest geographical coverage, with a presence in 41 countries and operations in all regions of the world except Oceania and the Middle East, 81% of its sales are made abroad, and 82% of its employees work abroad.
In second place is another Mexican company, Bimbo, which operates in 33 countries and achieves 68% of its sales abroad. And in third place, completing an entirely Mexican podium, is Cemex, with a presence in 19 countries and 80% of its sales abroad.
The top ten of the most internationalized companies in the area is also very Mexican, with a total of seven Mexican companies: América Móvil (fifth after Brazil’s Vale, with 72% of its sales outside its country of origin and more than half of its employees abroad); Nemak (sixth); Grupo Alfa (seventh) and Gruma (tenth, after Chilean-Brazilian Latam and Argentina’s Tenaris).
Vale leads the ‘Future expansion potential’ dimension, and Tenaris has foreign sales of US$4.478 billion, a presence in 18 countries, and more than 14,000 employees abroad (77%).
BRAZIL’S JBS, LEADER IN FOREIGN SALES
This year, on the other hand, América Economía has added a second ranking of Multilatinas ordered by the highest volume of sales outside their countries, which differs from that of intensity and potential Multilatinas.
This second list is headed by the JBS Group (Brazil), thirteenth in the ranking of Multilatinas, but with the highest total sales abroad.
Apart from the seven in the top ten, Mexico includes Ternium and Mabe (14th and 15th), Sigma (18th); Grupo Mexico (29th); Alpek and Alsea (33rd and 34th); Arca Continental (41st); Sofftek (45th); Femsa (54th); Simec and Vitro (57th and 58th); Industrias CH (64); Elektra, Lala, Cinépolis and Xignux (76, 77, 78 and 79); Gentera (84); Grupo Carso and Aeroméxico (87 and 88); Volaris and TV Azteca (90 and 92); Interceramic (95) and Televisa (99).
Brazil also has Logicalis and JBC (11 and 12); Cosan (16); Ambev (19); Embraer, Metalfrio and Marfrig (24, 25 and 26); Gerdau and Tupy (31 and 32); WEG (35); Braskem (38); Minerva (47); Suzano (49); Itaú (59); Intercement (67); BRF and Votorantim (69 and 70); Gol and Ultramar (73 and 74); CCU, Petrobras and Alpargatas (81, 82 and 83); Randon (85); Totvs (89); Localiza (91); Marcopolo (93) and Duratex (97).
Chile is present with Copec (17); Cencosud (21); Viña Concha y Toro (23); SQM and Sigdo Koppers (27 and 28); CMPC (30); Embotelladora Andina and Sonda (36 and 37); Saam (40); Falabella (43); Enaex (48); Arauco (56); Banmédica, Masisa and Molymet (60, 61 and 62); Enap (66); Carozzi (74); CCU (81); Ripley (94); Salfacorp (98) and Taffersal (100).
Colombia includes ISA (20); Argos (22); EMP (42); Empresa de Energía de Bogotá (44); Nutresa (46); Bancolombia (51); Avianca (53); Grupo Sura (55); Colombina (63) and Terpel (75). With less and less presence of companies outside the country, Argentina, in addition to Teneris, has Globant (13); Arcos Dorados (50); Arcor (52) and YPF (95). Peru appears in the list with Grupo Gloria (65) and Ferreycorp (68) and Panama, with Copa Airlines (71).