Comercio intra-industrial e intra-fiema en México en el contexto del proceso de integración de América del Norte (1993-2006)

Abstract

ONE OF THE SRONGEST TENDENCIES IN THE ON-GOING GLOBALIZATION PROCESS IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF INTRA-INDUSTRIAL TRADE, WHICH REMAINS STRANGE TO THE TRADITIONAL INTERPRETATIVE FRAMEWORK. THE PRESENT PAPER IS FOCUSED ON THE ANALYSIS OF THE RECENT DEVELOPMENT OF THIS KIND OF TRADE IN THE PARTICULAR CASE OF MEXICO, IN THE CONTEXT OF ITS INSERTION IN THE NORTH AMERICAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT. THE AIM OF THIS WORK IS TO CAPTURE THE SENSE AND THE DEPTH OF THESE TENDENCIES, AND INCLUDE NEW FACTORS THAT MAY HELP TO UNDERSTAND SUCH DYNAMICS, SUCH AS THE PRODUCTIVE INTERPENETRATION OF USA'S INDUSTRY, WHICH IS REFLECTED IN THE ACTIVITY OF THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY AND IN THE FLOW OF THE FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT (FDI). ULTIMATELY, THE WEAKNESS OF MEXICO'S COMMERCIAL STRUCTURE, WHICH SEEMS TO BE SUPPORTED TO A GREAT EXTENT BY THESE FDI FLOWS AND THE FA­VOURABLE BALANCE OF THE MAQUILADORA EXPORT INDUSTRY, IS REVEALED. ON THE OTHER HAND, IT IS THIS INDUSTRY THE ONE THAT EXPLAINS TO A GREATER EXTENT THE INCREASING WEIGHT OF INTRA-INDUSTRIAL TRADE IN MEXICO'S FOREIGN TRADE, IN PARTICULAR WITH THE USA (WHICH REPRESENTS MORE THAN 70% OF MEXICO'S FOREIGN TRADE). ALL DATA AND INDICATORS DEFINITELY POINT TOWARDS THE FACT THAT INTRA-INDUSTRY AND INTRA-FIRM TRADE SEEM TO BE CLOSELY ATTACHED IN MEXICO'S CASE, AS THE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME PROCESS: MEXICO'S INSERTION IN THE NAFTA, SUBORDINATED TO THE PROGRESSIVE PRODUCTIVE RELOCATION OF THE USA INDUSTRY IN THE CONTEXT OF THE PRESENT-DAY GLOBALIZATION.