When someone thinks manufacturing, usually it’s China that comes to mind. North America is all familiar with the iconic “Made in China” stamp that accompanies the many products we know and love. In fact, U.S manufacturing output in Asia has been large enough that during the Cold War, American media campaigns waged war against the brand and publicly ridiculed our involvement with the People’s Republic in China. For many, that [...]

Over the last decade, Mexico has experienced a manufacturing renaissance. Its meteoric rise has been a boom for both the country as a whole and for American companies seeking a manufacturing haven outside of China. Mexico’s proximity to the states and comparative costs of operation have encouraged many businesses to relocate. The shift has been mutually beneficial for both Americans and Mexicans alike.  Although there has been a steady influx [...]

The American economy is currently in the midst of a boom the likes of which hasn’t been seen since World War II. In early July, the U.S. broke records by hitting 121 months of growth, the longest economic expansion in the history of the country. Despite the fact that we have massive GDP growth and sit at a near full employment level, American manufacturing has experienced its weakest growth in [...]

The past decade has ushered in an era of unprecedented economic growth and development within Mexico. Viewed as an emerging market, particularly in the commodities and manufacturing sectors, it now has the 15th largest economy in the world with a 2018 GDP of $2.6 trillion. Economists suggest that the recent growth within the manufacturing sector has been spurred on by changes in foreign markets and trade policy. In response, U.S. [...]

A large focal point of President Trump’s political agenda during his 2016 campaign was focused on trade with the United States and its impact on the U.S. economy. In turn, it began to shed light on U.S. trade relationships with Mexico and China. While renegotiations Mexico and Canada have resulted in a revised trilateral trade agreement (USMCA), trade with China is still under significant pressure.  Section 301 of the Trade [...]

This content has been updated for accuracy and relevancy on February 26th, 2020. What is the United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA)? One of President Donald Trump’s focal points during his campaign, as well as his first years in office, was renegotiating the United States participation North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and pulling out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). At the end of September of 2018, more than a year [...]

Mexico's Labor Force: Participation Rate & Unemployment Improvements A recent study by Tradingeconomics.com shows Mexico’s labor force participation rate in 2018 is trending upwards, despite the half-percent decrease from September to August. This is slightly lower than the average 59.82% Mexico held from 2005 to 2018. source: tradingeconomics.com The unemployment rate in Mexico has improved as well, from 3.5% to 3.2% in October 2018. FocusEconomics reported that “third-quarter growth exceeded [...]

Content was last updated for relevancy and accuracy on December 20, 2023.  Will Tariffs Benefit or Hurt U.S. Manufacturers? The primary intent of applying tariffs on raw materials — as seen in recent and historical tariffs on China — is to help domestic producers of such materials be more competitive with their global counterparts, thus creating (or protecting) domestic jobs. And while this strategy can certainly help domestic producers compete [...]

Determining Where to Manufacture - A Guide As a business, one of the most crucial decisions to make is where to locate manufacturing operations, as this can have a tremendous impact on the profitability of the enterprise. In recent years, there has been a seismic shift in how companies are doing business as more and more companies are choosing to offshore their manufacturing operations to other countries. However, in order [...]