How many big American-owned plants are in operation in Mexico?

there’s a big water transmission facility in monterey that’s american owned. it’s staffed by americans though

Cheap labor.American Axle is another company that left.

The bottom line of everything is about money. One company where I’m from (MI) called Electrolux closed it’s doors and moved to Mexico, leaving hundreds jobless.

boots, this is exactly what my question is about. money versus lost American jobs versus illegal immigrants. is this a puzzle and we are just now fitting the pieces together?

google NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) that should answer pretty much all of your questions here…

(also, there are all kinds of big business that manufacture in Mexico, lots of clothes, electronic and mechanical manufacturers… and not just american owned companies either, kyocera comes to mind…)

Just in Tijuana there are many US owned companies that either own their own manufacturing plants or use shelter companies for manufacturing purposes. This includes Bose, Avery Dennison, Schlage, Hyson (Rainbyrd), Solar Turbines…. there’s hundreds.

I don’t see this as a bad thing. It’s cheaper to manufacture these products abroad… which translates to lower prices on the shelf.

@Dr_C it is only cheaper to manufacture abroad because those companies don’t pay the workers shit… and treat them terribly… that seems problematic, don’t you think?

@alive speaking from experience? I happen to be an In house doctor at more than one f these plants. They don’t pay their workers a fortune but their wages are competitive in the Mexican job market. There are intense regulations concerning working conditions as well as the manufacturing process, child labor, medical treatment as well as state sponsored insurance, shift time limits, personal protective equipment, environmental impact as well as adherence to ISO standard and OSHA 18000 practices.

The fact that some abuses occur in rare cases is not basis enough to condemn every company. Workers are not only not “treated terribly” in manuacturing along the border, they are helped in many ways including getting passports, periodic special events hat include holiday celebrations where prizes ranging from toasters to tv’s and refrigerators are given away to the work-force. Many provide day care and scholarships forthise workers that wish to continue their education.

No… I don’t think this seems problematic. I’ve seen first hand the benefits many workers can reap from this system. The fact that demand for these jobs is so high with so few vacancies is a testament to the quality of work environment provided… And in many cases people that can’t land one of these jobs immigrate ti the US illegally. I see a problem with there not being enough of these jobs… Nothing else.

i see where you are coming from on some of this

however, the bigger picture:

when you say “competitive pay in the mexican market”...

the question is, why is the mexican market, a market which boarder and trades directly with one of the richest nations in the world is still poor? how is it that if mexico has its own natural resources, its owner labor force, its own farming system and yet it is not on the same playing field as the US?
why is mexican labor cheaper than the SAME labor in the US?

it is only because stronger nations keep developing countries in a poor state. (obviously mexico has had its fair share of corruption in gov… but the US would rather see the corruption than see Mexico improve its economic standing)

it is also in these companies interest that minimum wage stays low, and labor laws are not enforced. it is in the “American Consumer’s” interest that we don’t pay a fair trade price.

NAFTA is just one way in which the US has been able to have a say in Mexican laws, and regulation.

I’ll concede the point on comparative differences in salaries accross borders, but the enforcement of labor laws is very stringent and the penalties are very steep. Again, I’ve witnessed the effects.