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. China and Pakistan are participants in this industry as well as Mexico. Western Europe and the United States tend to import rather than export finished goods in the textile industry (Epiro, 2005).
As China improves its standing in the textile industry, the rest of the world is not sitting by idly. Instead, there is increased competition at all levels of the textile market, with particularly intense competition in the low- and medium-priced fabrics. As with any industry, price is always a...