Manufacturing in Mexico has expanded rapidly in recent years, giving China and other Asian nations the first serious competition they’ve seen in decades. The rising cost of fuel, combined with higher wages in some Asian nations, has encouraged a growing number of major international corporations – especially those who manufacture heavy industrial items – to move their overseas manufacturing operations to Mexican maquilas (assembly and manufacturing facilities) in order to take advantage of the nation’s close proximity to the U.S. and affordable, highly skilled labor force.