In the context of the great strides made in opening up of trade and the implementation of NAFTA in Mexico, this paper explores to what degree the objectives of these economic reforms, in terms of higher growth and employment, have progressed in Mexico. The paper provides a comparison of the economic performance of Mexico with that of Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Colombia, countries that differ from Mexico in their form of insertion into world markets, and in the trajectory of productivity, employment and income. Firstly it analyses the important progress made by these countries upon opening up to foreign competition and, secondly it explores how far this has produced a greater and more stable growth and approached the predicted convergence with more developed economies like the USA.

March 10, 2007.