Since the last Latin American Canmakers Conference was held last May in Brazil, INX International Ink Co. has achieved further success as a technical and performance leader in the market. When Latamcan reconvenes February 4-6 in Mexico for the first time in three years, the provider of metal decorating inks is optimistic about the aluminum can industry in Central and South America this year.
INX International Highlights Can Industry Expertise and Market Outlook
INX officials will engage with canmakers, beverage brand owners, and metal decorators about several topics at tabletop 17 in the Hilton Mexico City Reforma. With continued investment across Latin America, INX is reinforcing its role as a trusted partner for customers seeking consistent color, reliable press performance, and scalable supply.
They plan to discuss high-performance metal decorating inks for high-speed beverage lines, and solutions that reduce downtime, scrap, or make-ready. Other conversations will include technical support for lightweighting, VOC compliance, aluminum sustainability efforts such as EcoCan, and new developments that were recently implemented that help drive innovation.
“When the Latamcan Conference was held in Mexico in 2023, the domestic and export demand for aluminum cans was stable. Last year there was a decline with the tariff situation,” said Antonio Garza. He has been the Managing Director of INX International de Mexico since 2022.
“However, we recently completed the installation of a brand new mill and mixer. The current blending ink capacity is 700,000 pounds per year, and this new equipment will allow us to be more independent and help lower the conversion cost for our customers,” explained Garza. “The first trial runs we did with them were very successful. Our staff of 30 people represents a good balance of youth and experience, making this INX business unit one of the best in the world for its size.”
New Cabreuva Flexo and Gravure Facility Strengthens Regional Capabilities
This latest development in Mexico follows the debut last February of a new state-of-the-art flexographic and gravure manufacturing facility in Cabreuva, Brazil. The investment is providing faster turnarounds, tighter color control, and consistent performance across the board, which is critical for global beverage brands.
The 65,000 square-foot building in the state of São Paulo supplies solvent-based ink to customers throughout Brazil, and to a significant portion of South America. Located on 20 acres, it includes a separate 8,000 square-foot area dedicated to INX’s Latin American Corporate office.
“We are currently producing 1,000 tons of ink per month and our operation is fully equipped for future expansion,” said Guilherme Ribeiro, INX Vice President of South American Operations. “All of the visitors in the past year have been impressed with the new building and equipment. The layout we designed has worked very well, allowing for good flow of materials and improved productivity.”
Mexico’s Aluminum Can Trends and INX International de Mexico’s Industry Support
INX International de Mexico’s Garza is hopeful about several factors impacting its market position in Central America. In addition to being the leading ink supplier and servicing a major new can industry investor, he says the eyes of the sporting world will be on Mexico with soccer’s 2026 FIFA World Cup Championship in June and early July.
“Heineken Mexico began operations about mid-2024 in the state of Chihuahua. They have the capacity to produce about 1.2 billion cans per year and are gradually increasing both their volume and expertise,” explained Garza, who said INX’s domestic market share in Mexico is about 90%. “We estimate Heineken is operating at 80% of its total capacity.”
Garza indicated those numbers could increase if the projection estimates of over six million fans from participating countries visiting Mexico for the soccer games prove accurate.
“We have experienced complexity in the industry before, so we have prepared and planned accordingly for when things turn positive again,” said Garza. “The FIFA World Cup Championship, which is being hosted at sites in the United States and Canada as well as here in Mexico, will be a great opportunity for fillers to promote their current brands and introduce some new products.”
The preceding press release was provided by a company unaffiliated with Packaging Impressions. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of Packaging Impressions.
- Companies:
- INX International Ink Co.






