ABSTRACT
The U .S.-Mexico border region is of great strategic importance because of the tremendous growth over the last 10 years of its population and its economic activity (1) and because ofNAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement). The vigorolis economic groWth of the border area has been led by the expansion of the maquiladora industry in Mexico (1). More than 1700 maquiladora plants are currently operating on the Mexican side of the border area, employing close to 450,000 people (2).
