ABSTRACT
When people think about multinational companies operating in Mexico, they often assume that the organization is based in the United States and operates near the U.S.-Mexico border in maquiladoras. It is true that the United States is Mexico’s largest trading partner, and largely because of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) U.S. investment in Mexico has grown rapidly during recent years. However, firms from many countries operate within Mexico, and have done so for decades. In 2000 the European Union signed a free trade agreement with Mexico, stimulating even more interest in the Mexican market among European firms. The largest economies in Europe-Germany and the United Kingdom-have the largest presence in Mexico, but Spain and France also are important trading partners. Currently, the total annual flow of investments controlled by French interests in Mexico is approximately US$600 million, and the value of the products produced by French firms exceeds $8 billion. French firms employ 70,000 Mexican workers.1
