A Global View of Manufacturing

Global trade is on the rise and that means that more businesses are looking to have their products manufactured by overseas firms in order to increase profitability. While there are many benefits to operating with an international manufacturing partner, it may seem an overwhelming or difficult option for small businesses or start-up organisations. Here is advice from the CEO of Tosh, a company that manufacturers London souvenirs with a balanced price-quality ratio. He shares his experience and professional tips above.

Microsoft Opens First Spanish-Language Center in Mexico

Via Mexico Today: Microsoft Corporation has opened its first technology center in Latin America that will provide technological resources to businesses in Mexico. The technology center is located in Mexico City and will provide training for an astonishing 2,300 software developers. Microsoft hopes to invest $690 million in Mexico in the upcoming year...in keeping with its investment plans, Microsoft has inaugurated its Spanish-language center this week.

Plastics Industry to Expand Greatly before End of Year

Did you know that the plastics industry in Mexico has generated 15,000 new jobs in Mexico? Eduardo Martinez Hernandez, Chairman of the Mexican Association of Plastics Industry or Asociacion Nacional de Industrias del Plastico (ANIPAC), informed that businessmen in this sector are expecting a 9% growth in Mexico, among the highest in productive sectors.

Mexico To Manufacture Aircraft with 100% Mexican Components

In the next ten years, Mexico will be manufacturing an aircraft made up of 100% domestic components. During a presentation at Mexico's Aerospace Summit in Chihuahua, Mexico, Luis Oliva, head of ProMexico's investment promotion and international business unit, said that foreign aerospace companies are investing more than $1 billion in manufacturing ventures in the country each year. As part of the Summit, representatives of the company Zodiac Aerospace signed an agreement to invest $14 million in the region's aerospace industry.

Emerging Market Currencies, Peso and Real, Rebound on Hopes for Greece

Late Monday trading yielded positive results for Mexico and Brazil's currencies. The expectation that the euro zone and the European Central Bank will take stronger measures and take a more active role to prevent a Greek default from spreading to Portugal, Ireland, Spain and Italy helped markets rebound in late in the day yesterday. Mexico's peso (MXN=D2) rose 0.60 percent to 13.5019 to the dollar.

Greek Crisis Affects Mexican Peso Today

The 120-day correlation coefficient between Mexican bonds and Treasuries dropped to a nine-month low of 0.29 from a high of 0.57 last week.

Mexico’s bonds, the emerging-market securities most correlated with U.S. Treasuries, are no longer moving in lockstep with debt from its northern neighbor as Europe’s debt crisis curbs demand for all but the safest assets.

“We expect the European authorities to finally react,” said Alonso Madero, who helps manage about $5.5 billion at Corp. Actinver SAB, in a telephone interview from Mexico City. “We would expect confidence to return to the markets little by little and see the same correlation return.”

Honda Plans 50 Millon Dollar Expansion in U.S.

Honda Motor Co. will invest $50 million its Logan County transmission plant in Ohio. The company announced this past Wednesday that it plans to add a 75,0000-square-foot expansion in Russells Point to increase capacity for the casting of aluminum transmission cases. When the project is complete, Honda's Transmission operations will encompass 1 million square feet. Honda officials said the expansion will create more than 100 jobs by 2013. Currently, the transmission plant has more than 1,000 employees.

World's First Transatlantic Flight Using Biofuel

CNN reported in mid-August that a recent Aeromexico flight from Mexico City to Madrid was extremely news worthy, due to the fact that it was the world's first transatlantic flight (on a commercial airline) using exclusively a new type of biofuel. Mexico is already known for its oil production and, since it the inauguration of a biodiesel plant by Presidente Calderón in 2010, many believe that Mexico is on its way to becoming a leader in the future of biofuel production. Thanks in part to its flats of arid, marginal land, Mexico presents advantages to biofuel production -- its growing popularity all over the globe furthering its biofuel production.

Mexico follows Thailand, South Korea and Russia adding Gold Reserves to Its Coffers

Gold had its worst weekly performance in more than four months after investors sold metal alongside global equities and other commodities on growing concern that the global economy will enter a second phase of economic crisis. Global stocks entered a difficult market for the first time in more than two years this week: oil touched a six-week low and copper fell to the lowest level in a year, numbers that display worries that the debt crisis in Europe may escalate as the U.S. faces another recession. The Federal Reserve said Sept. 21 there are “significant downside risks” to the outlook. Although its value has decreased, last month Russia’s central bank increased its gold reserves from 27 million at the end of July to 27.2 million troy ounces. This Sept. 20, Bank Rossii joined Thailand, South Korea and Mexico in adding the metal to their coffers.

How Everyday Things are Made: Lesson by Stanford University

If you've ever wondered how everyday items such as cars, candy or a home appliance are made, click on this link on the manufacturing industry that will walk you through a presentation that will show you the basics of manufacturing. A must see!

Mexico Annual Inflation Slows in September

Mexico inflation climbed less than expected in the first half of September, allowing Banxico to lower borrowing rates. Compared with the 0.36 percent rise that analysts expected, the consumer price index was 0.15 percent lower than expected. The annual inflation rate slowed to 3.16 percent through the first half of September.

The Economy in Mexico: Foreign Direct Investment

This video from The Economist explains how Mexico is still the largest trader in all Latin American and how the economy is bouncing back from the effects of the U.S. recession. Listen to this economic journalist explain how Mexico is implementing its current economic strategies across the globe.

Mexico's Booming Garment Manufacturing Industry

Did you know that not only is Mexico a leader in the automobile and aerospace engineering and manufacturing industries, but in the textile manufacturing business as well? According to data from Banxico (Banco de Mexico), the Mexican Chamber of Garments Industry, and Camara Nacional de la Industria del Vestido (Canaive), sales of clothing garments made in Mexico abroad are assisting national production levels from falling. Banxico’s data reveals that exports have started growing over the past 2 years; in the first half of 2010 they grew 5.3% and from January to June 2011 growth was 7.8%.

NAFTA: U.S. Should Work More with Canada and Mexico

When it comes to Mexico foreign direct investment, many opine that NAFTA should be more widely implemented and it would be beneficial to not only Mexico's manufacturing industry, but for the U.S. economy to increase trade relations between the three countries. From an article written by Robert A. Pastor, a professor at American University and author of "The North American Idea: A Vision of a Continental Future," for the SFGate:

North America's share of the world gross product soared from 29 percent in 1994 to 36 percent in 2001. Since then, it has declined to where it was in 1994. Together, the three governments could recover our past success and spread the increasing benefits to those in our countries that have been left behind. It all starts with a North American idea - a healthy respect for our neighbors and a determination to create a formidable regional community.

Turkish Stocks Rebounds to World's Best this Month as Banks Cut Rates

“Foreigners are just starting to realize that our central bank is doing great things for bank earnings at the moment, and the ISE is going to outperform as long as banks are being bought,” said Isik Okte, a trader at Finans Invest, an Istanbul-based brokerage. As this Bloomberg.com article suggests, Turkey “may actually be at the forefront of central bank policy-making,” and countries including Mexico, South Africa, Hungary and Poland may follow, Anne, the head of emerging-market strategy at Societe Generale, said in an interview.