Auto Makers Accelerate Production in Mexico – Driver’s Seat – WSJ

Nov 20, 2012 | , | 0 |

Mexico—Mexico is taking center-stage in the production of cars, where lower costs and skilled workers are reordering the global auto market.Six years ago, Mexico was the world’s ninth largest exporter of cars. Today the country is ranked fourth—behind Germany, Japan and South Korea—with exports expected to total more than 2.14 million vehicles this year.One in 10 cars sold last year in the U.S. was made in Mexico. Next year, every new taxi in New York’s fleet—made by Nissan Motor Co.—will carry the “Hecho en Mexico” label. Mexico is now exporting vehicles to China, and even helped Japan keep up with orders after last year’s tsunami.via Auto Makers Accelerate Production in Mexico – Driver’s Seat –...

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BBC News – US marijuana legalisation fuels Mexico drugs war debate

Nov 20, 2012 | | 0 |

Earlier this month, two US states voted to legalise, regulate and tax marijuana. The BBC’s Will Grant in Mexico City looks at what this shift in stance could mean for Mexico and its fight against the drug gangs.On the day voters in Washington state chose to re-elect President Barack Obama, they also chose to legalise the recreational use of marijuana. Over the Rockies in Colorado, it was a similar story.Continue reading the main story“Start QuoteWhat has happened in the US has moved things forward, because this debate is crucial”Fernando BelauzaranMexican politicianBurning questions about legal potUruguay bill to legalise drug use“What happened in Colorado and Washington was truly revolutionary,” says Beau Kilmer, the co-director of the Rand Drug Policy Research Centre in California. “No modern country has ever removed the prohibition on the production and distribution of marijuana for non-medical purposes.”via BBC News – US marijuana legalisation fuels Mexico drugs war...

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U.S.–Latin America Economic Ties | LatIntelligence

Nov 19, 2012 | , | 0 |

Many talk about the United States’ declining influence in Latin America, pointing to the rising role of China or European companies, investors, and governments. Yet a closer look at the economic ties between the United States and Latin America questions whether this part of the relationship has in fact weakened.The United States has been Latin America’s biggest trading partner throughout much of the region’s history, and this trend continues today. In 2011 trade between the United States and Latin America topped $800 billion, more than three times the region’s exchanges with China. It is also growing faster than U.S. trade with nearly any other region in the world—over 80 percent in the last decade. The lion’s share occurs between the United States and Mexico ($460 billion, or some 58 percent of regional trade). U.S. commercial ties with Brazil and Venezuela follow, together totaling another 16 percent.For Latin America’s seventeen countries, thirteen import more goods from the United States than anywhere else. This includes Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Venezuela, Honduras, and Mexico. Most of these imports are manufactured goods, including computers and computer accessories, telecommunication parts, cars, civilian aircraft, and machinery. For ten of the seventeen countries, the United States is the primary export destination. Most send raw materials—oil, minerals, and agricultural products—to the north.via U.S.–Latin America Economic Ties |...

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Global automakers turn to Mexico for expansion

Nov 19, 2012 | | 0 |

Toyota’s plan to source cars from Mazda’s Mexican plant starting in 2015 highlights global automakers’ growing reliance on the Latin American nation for quality production as well as lower costs.Mexico’s vehicle output is on pace to reach a record 2.86 million units in 2012, according to researcher LMC Automotive. More is on the way, as Honda is building its first large Mexico assembly plant, Nissan adds a third factory, Ford produces midsize sedans and Volkswagen’s Audi opens the country’s first luxury vehicle plant in 2016.“Across a range of industries, every single company in America that I’ve talked to will tell you that either their best plant or one of their top plants is in Mexico,” said Jeff Liker, an engineering professor at the University of Michigan. “They can build quality and they can deliver on time.”From Japanese automakers seeking relief from the strong yen to German and U.S. rivals eager to expand exports to the rest of Latin America, Mexico is evolving from its traditional role as a source of low-cost labor. Global automakers are focusing investment within about 300 miles (483 kilometers) of Mexico City to take advantage of the nation’s newfound reputation for quality.via Global automakers turn to Mexico for...

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NAFTA has fueled job growth – San Antonio Express-News

Nov 19, 2012 | | 0 |

NAFTA — the North American Free Trade Agreement — united Canada, Mexico and the U.S. as a powerful trading bloc. The agreement provides a business-friendly environment so the three nations can trade products and services more easily by eliminating tariffs and trade barriers.Since its implementation in the early 90’s, NAFTA has stimulated economic growth and sustained the economies of the three-nation region. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, exports grew over 45 percent in 2011 and were strongest to the U.S. NAFTA partners, Canada and Mexico. U.S. trade with Mexico increased substantially in 2011, with metropolitan area exports to Mexico increasing by 21.6 percent between 2010 and 2011.via NAFTA has fueled job growth – San Antonio...

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