Hacia una política de competitividad en México
IN MID-2006, MEXICO IS IMMERSED IN A PROFOUND DEBATE ABOUT THE COSTS AND BENEFITS OF THE PROCESS OF ECONOMIC OPENING AND THE LIBERALIZATION STRATEGY FOLLOWED SINCE THE END OF THE 1980S. THIS DEBATE PARTICULARLY FOCUSES ON THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR WHICH, ACCORDING TO DIFFERENT EXPECTATIONS, SHOULD HAVE CLOSED THE GAPS IN PRODUCTIVITY, EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES WITH OUR MAIN TRADE PARTNERS. RECENT TRENDS INDICATE A GENERALIZED DETERIORATION OF THE PRODUCTIVE SECTOR AND ITS COMPETITIVENESS, AS SHOWN BY THE CONSTANT DECREASES IN MEXICO'S GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS RANKING BY INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS. THIS MIGHT SEEM IRRELEVANT IF WE DID NOT ALSO INCLUDE GDP PERFORMANCE -BELOW HISTORIC AVERAGES- AND THE LACK OF QUALITY JOB CREATION IN RECENT YEARS.