The Mexican Peso Crisis: Could it have been stopped before it began?

This report provides data on Mexico which includes the economy, geography, its society, and government. It also discusses how Mexico’s economy is becoming orientated toward manufacturing. In addition, it shows that the GDP rate is not growing. The report explores the transnational issues facing the country which are international conflicts, refugees and domestically displaced persons, and drug trafficking. This source will contribute to my final project because it provides facts on the measures I am using to determine the development of a country.

In the Shadow of the Mexican Revolution by Hector Aquilar Camin and Lorenzo Meyer tells a chronological story of contemporary Mexico from the fall of Porfirio Diaz in 1910 to the July elections in 1989. The time period that Camin and Meyer portray in Mexico is one of corruption, civil war, and failure. While Mexico would undergo an era described as the “Mexican Miracle” where the Mexican country would begin to see a positive output in the country, it would be short-lived and Mexico would continue to fall behind as other countries progressed. While In the Shadow of the Mexican Revolution is comprised of facts throughout history, one cannot help but feel a sense of sympathy for Mexico. While their corruption, political, and economical,

Some background facts about Mexico: The place of advanced Amerindian civilizations, Mexico came under Spanish rule for three centuries before achieving independence early in the 19th century. A devaluation of the peso in late 1994 threw Mexico into economic turmoil, triggering the worst recession in over half a century. The nation continues to make an impressive recovery. Ongoing economic and social concerns include low real wages, underemployment for a large segment of the population, inequitable income

Between the 1940’s and the 1970’s, Mexico’s economy had been flourishing. Their inflation was at a good range and their debt was low. With the discovery of petroleum, Mexico

Mexican firms are now able to produce products at highly competitive prices thanks to lower-cost labor and proximity to the American market

Within the western hemisphere, neighboring countries United States and Mexico have established an interesting relationship since their rise of independence. Within this relationship, several differences appear. These nations have had their fair share of struggles; yet both manage to coexist fairly well. When comparing both of these countries on the basis of commerce, education, and political stability the commonalities, discrepancies, and relationships become evident. As well as, the factors for the mass Mexican immigration to the United States and the harmful effects that result the country of Mexico as a whole.

Mexico is an intriguing global economy, being one of the largest economies of the globe, yet also the host of a large portion of poor people; in the country for instance, which has given the world the richest man alive (Carlos Selim), 51.3 per cent of the population live below the poverty line (Central Intelligence Agency, 2012). IN order to better understand the Mexican economy, it is useful to look at it through two distinctive lenses, namely the savings rate through the Solow model and the business cycles.

In the last decade we have seen dismal economic growth of less than 2 percent per year on average. This is the worst record for Mexico in 70 years, particularly shocking when compared to double-digit growth in other developing countries. We need to quickly move onto a path of sustained growth that will increase investor confidence and provide stability for an eager workforce.

Mexico is a product of its past; political violence early in its history proceeded to cause a quasi-authoritarian, corporatist regime. Its nationalist tone was a result of both foreign intervention and a search for stability, workers were expectant of unionized labor creating job security and a living wage, and businesses were accustomed to subsidies and tariff protection (Gill, 2014). However, this all changed in the 1980’s when Mexico experienced an economic crisis when the international economy changed, but interests in Mexico did not, causing a reimagining of both economic policies and the political system. Grassroots demand for democracy led the system from a one party system to a multiparty one. This crisis also showcased economic

The consequence of this process was that there was a lopsided development process in North America. The increasing capital mobility and the investments in the United States in the South of the Border were met with repressive efforts limiting the cross-border movements of the Mexicans. However, despite this limitation in mobility the establishment of NAFTA had led to an increase in the number of Mexicans seeking employment in the United States. The signing of the treaty also saw collective firms under neoliberalism in Mexico being privatized and the elimination of agricultural subsidies. This move increased the number of peasants who went out to seek opportunities elsewhere. The emigration pressures and the restrictive border policies affected the processes and patterns of Mexico-US migration (Douglas & Patricia, 3).

The major goods and services traded between Mexico and the US are agricultural products and US exports of private commercial services. These to go major goods are imported and exported between US and Mexico. According to USTR.gov, "United States goods and private services with Mexico totaled an estimated $536 billion in 2012. Would exports totaled 243 billion! Imports totaled $293 billion. The total US goods and services trade deficit with Mexico was $49 billion into thousand and 12. "Since US and Mexico our neighboring countries, most of the important export come at a better value priced tag for consumers since shipping cost is much lower than other trading partners such as China and Europe. Trade in private services with Mexico (based

The strong influence of U.S. economy on Mexican one is confirmed analyzing Exhibit 3 with respect to foreign direct investment and exports. United States accounts for more than 45% of total FDI inflows in Mexico and, even if the Country is actually the largest host of FDI in Latin America, it’s undeniable that accordingly with economic downturns in the U.S. the figure of FDI in Mexico declines significantly (Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, December 2010) like happened from 2007 to 2009 (Exhibit 4). The same mechanism act also with exports because U.S. attracts almost 80% of Mexican exports thus during periods of crisis in the U.S. Mexico suffers slowdown in foreign trade (Exhibit 5).

Mexican dependence on the U.S. is notable. After the failure of the drive to diversify trade patterns in the 1970s and eighties (the local equivalent of Canada's Third Option policy), a 'realist' approach began to mark the nation's traditional nationalist and protectionist economy. From opposition to excessive U.S. dependence, Mexico moved to welcome it as inevitable. With time, the Mexican economy became even more dependent on the United States than the Canadian economy.2

In 1994, the world saw the decline of the Mexican Peso, leading to what is now considered as the Mexican Peso Crisis. The crisis was characterized by the drastic decline in the value of the Mexican Peso. The Mexican Peso Crisis is considered significant because of its impact on other parts of the region, including Brazil. The following is a discussion of the causes and impact of the Mexican Peso Crisis.

The year 1994 marks the final year of Carlos Salinas de Gotari’s administration in Mexico. In order to boost the popularity of the party in hope of garnering more votes, Salinas went a high spending splurge which led to high deficits. Mexico’s trade deficit further deteriorated due to trade liberalization through the participation in North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1992, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and World Trade Agreement (WTA) in 1994. Fuelled by the overvalued peso and trade liberalization, Mexico was importing at a rate much faster than it could, leading to rising trade deficits.