Group 1 - Chinese carmakers BYD, Geely, and Vietnam's VinFast are finalists to acquire a Nissan-Mercedes-Benz vehicle plant in Aguascalientes, Mexico, advancing from nine bidders [1] - The Aguascalientes factory, opened in 2017, has an annual capacity of 230,000 vehicles and is being closed due to Nissan ending production of certain models and Mercedes-Benz shifting production to Hungary [2] - Mexico's federal government has encouraged local authorities to postpone approvals for Chinese automotive investments while negotiating trade arrangements with the US, despite lacking authority to block the sale [3] Group 2 - The interest from BYD and Geely highlights the rapid expansion of China's automotive sector, as Mexico's auto industry faces challenges from US tariffs, including a 25% tariff on Mexican-built cars imposed in March 2025 [4] - The tariffs contributed to a nearly 3% decline in exports to the US in 2025 and resulted in approximately 60,000 job losses in the sector last year [4] - The Chinese commerce ministry is aware of the Aguascalientes proposals and has not raised objections to the overseas factory projects [5]