This news article was originally written in Spanish. It has been automatically translated for your convenience. Reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, however, no automated translation is perfect nor is it intended to replace a human translator. The original article in Spanish can be viewed at México, país invitado del SIL 2007

Mexico, SIL 2007 guest country

17/07/2007

July 17, 2007

Mexico, with 104 million inhabitants and a per capita income higher than for all Latin America, will be the guest country to the next edition of the international logistics and maintenance, SIL 2007.

With thousands of kilometres of coastline in the two great oceans (Pacific and Atlantic) and very close geographically of the two mouths of the Panama channel, its ports are the gateway of merchandise from Europe and Asia on his way to the North American market. And for cultural reasons, but above all by its demographic and economic importance, Mexico is a country that Spanish companies have located in the sights of its expansion.

During the first half of 2006, the volume of investment of 2,247 national companies in Mexican territory was 6.942 million dollars (5.275 million euros). The proof of the interest in the Mexican market lies in the fact that the some of the most important Spanish companies have already installed time; BBVA, Banco Santander, group Inditex, Telefónica or Sol Melià.

Relations between the Spanish and Mexican economies have a strong flavor of reciprocity. The large Aztec business conglomerates ago years who created subsidiaries in Spain. It is the case of CEMEX (Cementos Mexicanos), Grupo Modelo, IMSA, Vitro Cristalglass, DESC or group hotel guest.

The presence of Mexico as guest country in the 9th edition of the SIL will help to strengthen and develop trade links with the region. In the great Hall which is then mounted in the international logistics and maintenance 2007, and together with the institutional representation of the federal Government, the participation of the States of Tamaulipas, Yucatán and Sinaloa is confirmed. In addition, have also announced their presence several companies of the other States of the Mexican Republic.

An economic powerhouse

Mexico is one of the main exporters of raw materials and manufacturing at the international level. Economic activity is largely merged with the of the United States of America, which consume more than the 85 by scientific of Mexican exports. GDP grew by more than 4 per cent in 2004, and more than 3 per cent in 2005, while the unemployment rate is barely 4 per cent.

Since the middle of the Decade of the 1980s the country has shifted by a neoliberal economic model with a strong desire in the opening made that has become the world leader in free trade agreements to other markets. Their main trade association is in the Treaty of free commerce of North America (NAFTA), consisting of United States, Canada and Mexico. It also has free trade agreements with the EU, Israel, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Japan and some countries of Latin America and is an observer member and future associate member of Mercosur.