The impact of NAFTA on prices and competition: Evidence from Mexican manufacturing plants

A-Tier
Journal: Journal of International Economics
Year: 2025
Volume: 155
Issue: C

Authors (4)

Brugués, Felipe (not in RePEc) Kikkawa, Ayumu Ken (University of British Columbia) Mei, Yuan (not in RePEc) Robles, Pablo (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

1.005 = (α=2.01 / 4 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

This paper assesses the impact of the North American Free Trade Agreement on Mexican manufacturing plants’ output prices and markups. We distinguish between Mexican goods that are exported and those sold domestically, and decompose their prices separately into markups and marginal costs. We then analyze how these components were affected by the reductions in Mexican output tariffs, intermediate input tariffs, and U.S. tariffs on Mexican exports. We find that domestically sold products saw a decline in prices as Mexican plants faced more competition and gained access to cheaper inputs. Prices of exported goods fell only slightly as plants increased their markups in response to a favorable competitive environment due to declines in U.S. tariffs.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:inecon:v:155:y:2025:i:c:s0022199625000418
Journal Field
International
Author Count
4
Added to Database
2026-01-25