Ashley Haskell INTB

 Population Million ◦ 4% living under poverty level  Per Capita Income- $15,782  GDP growth rate- 3.9%  Inflation rate-3.6%  Population-315 Million ◦ 15% living under poverty level  Per capita Income- $51,688  GDP growth rate-2.8%  Inflation rate-1.6%

 Top 15 leading exporters ◦ Agriculture ◦ Vehicles ◦ Electronics ◦ Oil  Free trade agreements ◦ Nafta  Tourism

 Goal to eliminate barriers for trade and investment  Decreased tariffs placed by governments on imports and exports  Decreased restrictions made it easier to trade and significantly increased the amount of trade done

 Mexican farmers were put out of business by U.S. subsidized farm products  U.S. jobs lost  Wages in U.S. were suppressed  Explosion of Maquiladora industry

 Maquiladora- a Mexican manufacturing plant where, often foreign corporations ship materials for assembly, processing or manufacturing through a trade agreement to then be exported back out. Thrives near U.S./Mexico border.

 Employ those who could otherwise be unemployed  Maximize Profits  Hold Mexico in Global economy  Create relationships between countries  In order to attract foreign investment, labor is kept cheap and often not at living wage  Poor living and Working Conditions  Labor laws often ignored  Hazardous waste created by foreign countries is often left in Mexico and pollutes their land, water and air  Health problems resulting  Child Labor

 Labor costs going up in worlds largest exporter, China, and Mexico can compete  Geographic proximity to one of worlds largest consumer markets  Mexico’s skilled workforce  Big reforms being made by newly elected president Peña Nieto

Enrique Peña Nieto-Mexico’s 57 th President

 Would allow international profit sharing to the state owned oil  Tap into reserves to increase production from 2.5 billion barrels to 3 billion per year  More jobs for Mexicans or more jobs for big oil companies in U.S. and Europe??