Top states for business in Mexico – World Bank Report 2007

I highly recommend that you download and read the Doing Business in Mexico 2007 report, released on November 15, 2006.

For anyone currently doing business in Mexico, or thinking about doing business in Mexico, this is a must read.

The World Bank Group has announced that “Doing business became easier in many Mexican states in 2005-2006, according to the new Doing Business in Mexico 2007 report, released today in Mexico City. The report finds that some states compare well with the best of the world, while others need much reform to become globally competitive.” – November 15, 2006

Quick results of the top ten Mexican states based upon the factors of; starting a business, registering property, obtaining credit, and enforcing a contract include:

1. Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes (Easiest)
2. Guanajuato, Celaya
3. Nuevo Leon, Monterrey
4. Sonora, Hermosillo
5. Campeche, Campeche
6. Zacatecas, Zacatecas
7. Queretaro, Queretaro
8. Michoacan, Morelia
9. Sinaloa, Culiacan
10. Mexico City (Most difficult)

A full listing of all the 31 Mexican states is available in the report.

Excerpt from the report: “If you were to open a new business in Mexico City, the start-up procedures would take 27 days on average, 8 days fewer than in Shanghai. If you decided to open a business in Guanajuato or Aguascalientes, you would have to wait 12 days—only one day longer than your competitor in Amsterdam. But if you needed to take a customer to court for a simple debt default in Guanajuato, resolving the dispute would take 304 days—far longer than the 217 days it takes in Dublin,1 but significantly shorter than in Baja California Sur where it takes 581 days. These examples illustrate two patterns. First, some Mexican states compare well with the best in the world. Second, many states need much reform to become globally competitive.”

Related Links

Press release on Doing Business in Mexico 2007 (PDF, 75KB)

Doing Business in Mexico 2007 (PDF, 1.26MB)

World Bank Report – Doing Business in Mexico 2005

The definitive guide on how to dial to Mexico

Starting today, November 4, 2006 there are changes on how to dial to cellular phones in Mexico.

The program called “El que llama paga”, which means “whoever calls, pays for the call”, allows you to call any cellular phone in Mexico and the recipient of the call does not have to pay. Previously the cost of the call was shared between both parties.

If calling Mexico from out of the country (International long distance):

• To a fixed landline phone: the exit code of the country (in the USA – “011”) + 52 + area code + telephone number

• To a Mexican cellular phone: the exit code of the country (in the USA – “011”) + 52 + 1 + area code + telephone number

If in Mexico, calling from a fixed landline phone to a Mexican cellular phone

• To a cellular phone in the same city: 044 + area code + telephone number

• To a cellular phone in another city: 045 + area code + telephone number

• To a Nextel of the same city: telephone number

• To a Nextel of another city: 01 + area code + telephone number

• From a fixed landline that is NOT Telmex to a cellular phone of another city:  01 + area code + telephone number

If in Mexico, dialing from a cellular phone

• To a fixed landline in the same city: telephone number

• To a fixed landline in another city: 01 + area code + telephone number

• To a cellular telephone in the same city: area code + telephone number

• To a cellular telephone in another city: 045 + area code + telephone number

• To a NEXTEL: telephone number

• To a NEXTEL in another city: 01 + area code + telephone number

Related Links

How to call Mexico from the USA

Changes for dialing long distance to cellular phones in Mexico

World Bank report – Doing Business in Mexico

The World Bank has an on-line report available entitled “Doing Business in Mexico“. The study was published in December of 2005.

“Cosponsored by COFEMER, USAID, and the World Bank Group, Doing Business in Mexico is the first state-level report of the Doing Business series in Latin America. This report investigates the scope and manner of regulations that enhance business activity and those that constrain it.

The report covers the following thirteen Mexican cities and four areas of regulation: Starting a business, Registering property, obtaining credit and enforcing a contract.”

“When compared, Mexico City and the 12 other cities differ dramatically on the four indicators the report measures. “

The cities and regulations analyzed include: Aguascalientes, Celaya, Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Veracruz, Merida, San Luis Potosi, Torreon, Mexico City, Tlalnepantla, Puebla, and Queretaro.

Of special note is the following comment. “The report concludes that reform is sorely needed. Much of the opportunity for improvement is in local administrative procedures, which can be changed by a governor or a mayor.”

This is very important. A governor or local mayor can make an important difference on the ease of setting up and doing business in Mexico. Seek out those states and cities with pro-active leadership. Find those areas that are investing heavily in infrastructure or have a dynamic policy focused on foreign investment and economic development.

Related Links

Doing Business in Mexico – World Bank

Doing Business in Mexico (PDF)

Press Release (PDF)