The Role of FDI on Exports Performance: Evidence from the Mexican States

This article examines manufacturing export determinants across Mexican states and regions from 2007 to 2015. Paying particular attention to the role of FDI, the analysis considers internal and external determinants of manufacturing exports under static and dynamic panel data methods. Several interesting results were obtained. First, the ratio of manufacturing to total GDP is the most consistent determinant of exports performance, regardless of the estimation method or specification employed. Second, static panel data estimations under GMM techniques suggest different sensitivity to FDI across regions, with the Mexico-U.S. border region observing the most substantial short-term effect of FDI on manufacturing exports. Finally, using dynamic panel data methods, we found significant persistence and similar long-term effects of FDI across most of the regions.