“How did the U.S. exports to Mexico increase from $51 billion to $231 billion over 22 years if so much of our production capacity was moved there? “
Is that all manufactured goods? Or is a big chunk of that “petroleum product” and/or raw materials?
I know since 2004 our petroleum exports to Mexico have tripled and our imports of petroleum products have been cut in half.
Are you suggesting the Ford, Carrier, GM, et al have NOT moved some production to Mexico?
Seems that would be an outlandish claim.
My understanding that "goods" would include any physical commodity that fits into the standard commodity classification codes -- including manufactured products, raw materials, etc. I say this because trade figures generally list "goods" insofar as they are distinct from "services."
Exports of petroleum products to Mexico may have tripled, but keep in mind that since 1994 Mexico and Canada both surpassed Saudi Arabia as the largest foreign sources of crude oil for the U.S. -- and the crude oil imports from Mexico would be included in those figures as well. So this is one industry that actually turns the whole "manufacturing is going to Mexico" argument on its head. The U.S. imports a raw material from Mexico and sells back a finished product!
Are you suggesting the Ford, Carrier, GM, et al have NOT moved some production to Mexico?
Not at all. Are you suggesting that other companies didn't build new production facilities in the U.S. since 1994? In the auto industry alone there must be dozens of new plants that have been built in the U.S. since then -- mostly by foreign manufacturers like Daimler-Benz, BMW, Hyundai, Volkswagen, Kia etc.