Alternative Title

Comercio y Dependencia Economica: El impacto de la ayuda alimentaria de EE.UU. en el comercio bilateral con México

Abstract

This Senior Independent Study examines the impact of U.S. bilateral food aid, particularly through Public Law 480 (PL480), on Mexico’s trade structure, agricultural sector, and economic dependency between 1991 and 2024. While U.S. food aid programs have historically been framed as humanitarian efforts, this research argues that they have functioned as realpolitik, tools that have reinforced structural trade imbalances. By analyzing trade policies, economic theory, and econometric data, this study reveals how food aid has systematically weakened Mexico’s terms of trade, increasing reliance on subsidized U.S. imports, and shaped long-term dependency on American trade policies. The senior research integrates dependency theory and the Heckscher-Ohlin model to contextualize Mexico’s economic subordination and provides empirical evidence demonstrating how PL480 disrupted comparative advantage, altered labor productivity, and reinforced asymmetric trade relations. Collectively, this research highlights the geopolitical function of U.S. food aid and its role in maintaining Mexico’s position as a subordinate trade partner, challenging conventional narratives that depict aid neutral tool of economic development.

Advisor

Moledina, Amyaz

Second Advisor

Balam, Osmer

Department

Economics; Global and International Studies; Spanish

Disciplines

Immigration Law | International Law | International Trade Law

Keywords

U.S.-Mexico Trade Relations - Food Aid - Dependency - Economic Dependency - Theory Agricultural Trade & Policy Structural Economic Dependence - International Trade & Welfare

Publication Date

2025

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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