Condon
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Ces Matt 301
The Maquiladoras and NAFTA
As the world continues to expand and globalization increases, the reliance on foreign labor is
higher than ever before. This is due to the cheapness and availability of workers in foreign countries.
A prime example of a dominant country exploiting a weaker one is The United States and Mexico.
This is mainly due to NAFTA, or the North American Free Trade Agreement. When NAFTA was
implemented in 1994, there was a boom in the number of people working in the Maquiladoras in
Mexico. The Maquiladoras are the factories, essentially sweatshops, that dot the Texas Border.
NAFTA was supposed to turn Mexico into a first world country and raise them to the economic
power of The United States, but hasnt necessarily done so, quite often benefiting the United States
and hurting Mexico. It is important to understand the background of NAFTA, how NAFTA has
negatively affected the women of Mexico, and its impact on the Maquiladoras.
The purpose of NAFTA was to eliminate trade tariffs and barriers between three countries
(Cooney). These Countries were Canada, The United States, and Mexico. On paper NAFTA would
reduce taxes paid when importing and exporting goods. This would effectively equal the playing field
between all countries, and help them make profits. This obviously is not what happened. It is clear
after years of NAFTA being in place that it was designed to promote the interests of big businesses
and its financiers (Aguilar and Lacsamana). The United States began exporting all the work it had
been sending to Asia, and moving it to Mexico because it was far cheaper and more convenient.
Although the Maquiladoras had been steadily growing since 1965, it saw a massive boom around the
time of NAFTA (Cooney). Around the time that NAFTA was being signed Mexico had just
experienced one of its biggest economic bailouts in its history. The country was vulnerable and they
needed to try something new. With all the factors playing in, NAFTA was eventually signed on
January 1st, 1994.
It is important to remember the role women play in the Maquiladoras after the signing of
NAFTA. From 1982 to 1994 the peso lost much of its value, sending more women into the workforce
then ever before (Aguilar and Lacsamana). This meant with the signing of NAFTA and increase of
women in the labor force, there would be a massive amount of women working in the Maquiladoras.
In 1970 only 17 percent of women over the age of twelve worked, while in 1995, this number grew
to 35 percent (Aguilar and Lacsamana, 126). So it is clear that NAFTA had an impact on the number
of women workers in labor force. The increase in women working isnt the only impact that NAFTA
has had on Mexican women. The Maquiladoras are notorious for their poor working conditions, and
the mistreatment of workers, especially women. It is astonishing that in todays society humans are
still forced to work under these conditions. The Maquiladoras have always preferred to hire younger
women, between the ages of 16 and 25, because they are more fit and able to work longer hours.
Factory managers also prefer women over men because they are seen as weaker, more docile, and less
likely to band together and protest (Aguilar and Lacsamana). With relaxed regulations in Mexico
compared to The United States, factory owners are able to push their workers harder then ever. The
women work for grueling hours typically doing repetitive tasks the entire time. The pace in the
maquiladoras is fast and pressured... many women work under these conditions form early morning
well into the evening, with only a half an hour for lunch (Aguilar and Lacsamena). The women are
not the only ones that suffer from NAFTA, it has also had an impact the on maquiladoras.
The maquiladoras before the signing of NAFTA were much different than those after the
signing. There were many laws that changed after NAFTA and this impacted the factories as well.
Before NAFTA, primary ownership of a factory had to be Mexican. Once NAFTA was implemented
primary ownership could be foreign (Plenert). There are several reason this was established. One it
would encourage foreign investors and builders to own a maquiladora, this clearly has worked. Many
foreign countries have shifted their factories from asia and other foreign countries, to the borders of
Mexico. When people were predicting the outcome of NAFTA many expected The United States to be
the loser and Mexico to be the winner (Plenert). This has not been the case. Now, more then ever,
products are being shipped to and from the boarder. With The United States being the main user of
this new law. NAFTA relaxed the tariffs that were put in place across the Mexican border, so it is
cheaper and quicker for American companies to move their goods across the borders. When Nafta was
designed it was meant to benefit all countries, Mexico getting the most benefit, but it has actually
made things much worse especially in the maquiladoras.
When looking at NAFTA and what it was supposed to bring it must be remembered that
Mexico was promised the glory of a first world country. They were almost deceived from the truth of
the proposed agreement. The brutality of NAFTA and what it brings to the people of Mexico goes
much deeper. NAFTA was developed in the early 1990's as a trade agreement that would removed
tariffs and barriers. This was supposed to make trading between the three countries in North America
much more equal. It is almost a case of the rich getting richer, when The United States has benefited
far more then Mexico. The people that suffer the most are the women workers of the Maquiladoras. It
has been documented the factories follow very few humane laws. They worked the women for long
hours, play them almost nothing, and fire them when they try to band together. The Mexican
Government accepted conditions that would cleary hurt the workers of agriculture and factories
(Aguilar and Lacsamana). This means that it is nearly impossible to get these factories to change, and
these women are continued to work in these inhumane conditions. Whats most troubling and
disturbing is this is not something happening thousands of miles away, but right next door. Our
country, which is supposedly about freedom, has purposely put these women to work in slave like
conditions. The fact is working conditions in these factories are the same as sweatshops, and the
owners and financiers of large companies do not care, as long as their product is being produced.
Hopefully in the near future Mexico and The United States will create a trade agreement and benefits
all parties, until then the women and workers of the maquildoras will suffer, which is truly a tragedy.
Works Cited
Aguilar, Delia D., and Anne E. Lacsamana. "Six Years of NAFTA." Women and Globalization. New
York: Humanity, 2004. Print.
Cooney, Paul. "The Mexican Crisis and the Maquiladora Boom: A Paradox of Development or the
Logic of Neoliberalism?" JSTOR. JSTOR, 3 May 2001. Web. 14 Feb. 2010.
<http://www.jstor.org/stable/3185149>.
Fernandez-Kelly, Patricia, and Douglas S. Massey. "Borders for Whom? The Role of NAFTA in
Mexico-U.S. Migration." JSTOR. JSTOR, Mar. 2007. Web. 14 Feb. 2012.
<http://www.jstor.org/stable/25097891>.
Plenert, Gerhard. NAFTA's Effects on Maquiladora Plants. Institute of World Class Management
and Precision Printers, Inc. 1999. Web.
<http://www.sbaer.uca.edu/research/sribr/1999/03.pdf >