PLN 6

U.S. - Mexican relations have hit a rough patch in the recent years. There have been problems with immigration, trade, and counter-narcotic operations that have affected the relationship between the 2 countries. The U.S. - Mexico relationship is very important even if a lot of people don't think so. Without counting the drugs, Mexico is the United States third largest trading partner. 80% of Mexican exports are for the United States and their trading is 3 times larger since they singed the NAFTA agreement in 1994. The biggest problem is that Americans are the Mexican drug cartels best customers. Mexico is one of the United States best trading partners, it was ranked the second from the U.S. exports and it was the third in total U.S. trade (imports as well as exports) Since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was made the U.S. and Mexico have developed a very big economic bond. The trading between the countries has more than tripled since the agreement was made in 1994. Because of NAFTA, the Mexico, Canada and the U.S. make the biggest free trade area, it has about one third of the total of domestic products (GDP). The mexican population consists of 114 million people, this makes it the biggest spanish speaking country in the world and the third with more people in the western hemisphere after the U.S. and Brazil. 

http://worldpittsburgh.wordpress.com/2011/04/20/why-the-mexican-drug-wars-matter/

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL34215.pdf