14 Mexican states vulnerable if NAFTA ends

Aguascalientes

, Baja California , Coahuila , Chihuahua , State of Mexico , Guanajuato , Jalisco , Morelos , Nuevo León , Puebla , San Luis Potosí , Querétaro , Sonora ,and Tamaulipas will be at the greatest risk if the North American Free Trade Agreement ( NAFTA ) ends, warned Aregional , a consulting firm for Economic Analysis and Public Finance for States and Municipalities in Mexico.

The exports of these fourteen states would decrease 8% and their gross domestic product ( GDP ) would drop 5% since about 70% of their exports goes to the United States.

According to Erika Peralta , Competitiveness and Urban Development Coordinator of the firm, foreign direct investment in the states will decrease.

Given this scenario, she assured that Mexico should restructure industrial and commercial policy.

"We are not prepared at a national level. We are failing both in innovation and technological development, entrepreneurship, and business promotion, in quality employment, sustainability, business financing, access to higher education and infrastructure," she concluded.

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