MEXICO'S TEXTILE INDUSTRY

MEXICO'S TEXTILE INDUSTRY: ADAPTING FROM FABRICS TO GARMENTS

Most Americans give very little thought as to how the clothes that they wear are produced. Some are aware of the so-called sweatshop conditions that exist in some factories around the world, and some older Americans are familiar with one of the main trade unions�the Ladies Garment Workers' Union�because of television commercials promoting the "union label" run several decades ago. The textile industry is one of the largest industries in the world and is one of the most global, as well. Goods are produced in countries for export to other countries, and there is considerable competition among producer countries for the jobs and commerce that textile manufacture provides. This research considers the textile industry in general, and specifically the industry within Mexico. Within this analysis, whenever the words 'textiles' or 'textile industry' occurs, the reader will understand that the term is referring to that portion of the textile industry which deals with the production of high-value garments unless otherwise differentiated.

The textile industry is a global industry that has evolved to one where goods are produced in one nation�typically a nation with low labor costs�and distributed to the rest of the world for purchase. The textile industry remains highly labor-intensive, so those nations with lower labor rates are able to attract textile industries to their shores.

Related Essays

Lowering Tariffs .... France decided not to approve the US's invasion of .... In the textile industry, the fact is that firms have been exiting the Carolinas for Mexico and Central .... (1878 8 )

The North American Free Trade Agreement .... as in foreign investment, intellectual property, and the textile industry. .... The argument in Mexico is thus much like the .... Baker,S., G. Smith & E. Weiner (1993 .... (2124 8 )

Impact of NAFTA on Marketing of US Products .... up with Mexican manufacturers in the textile and clothing .... And Mexico's economic recovery will soon enable that .... Download Pages 1-8. Weintraub, S. (June 20, 1997 .... (1740 7 )

Canada: Power and Class Issues .... agreements with the United States and, later, Mexico, as well .... points out that the chemical products and textile industry, transportation and .... Clarkson, S. (2001 .... (1902 8 )

US Steel and Cotton Industries .... affected by these measures including Mexico and Canada .... nations around the world for the textile industry. .... Testimony of Undersecretary Robert S. LaRussa before .... (2262 9 )

t (Infomat, 2005). Under NAFTA, an annex was developed containing the following dispositions (NAFTA, 2005): Tariff Elimination; Import and Export Prohibitions; Restrictions and Consultation Levels; Bilateral Emergency Actions (Tariffs and Quantitative Restrictions); Special Provisions; Review and Revision of Rules of Origin; Labeling Requirements; and, Trade in Worn Clothing and Other Worn Articles. In January 2005, the Multi-Fiber Agreement (MFA), of which Mexico was a party, expired, eliminating protected textile quotas (Barday, 2005). Beginning in January 2005, the textile industry became subject to the provisions of GATT. In addition, international industrial textile trade is also regulated by the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC). The ATC was enacted in 1995 soon after the World Trade Organization (WTO) was established. A quasi-judicial body, the Textiles Monitoring Body (TMB) is responsible for monitoring and supervising the terms of international textile agreements and resolving trade disputes (WTO, 2005). The International Textiles and Clothing Bureau (ITCB) is another administrative agency that the Mexican textile industry is subject to. The Bureau consists of Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, China

Category: Foreign - M