The first maquiladoras were built in 1966 in Baja California and Cuidad Juarez (United
             States firms established with the support of the Mexican government). The Border
             Industrialization Program created these companies in order to channel the abundant labor source
             in the border areas of Mexico and the United States free trade zone (Maquila Overview 1). The
             original purpose of the maquiladoras was to employ all the unemployed people who resided on
             the Mexican side of the border and also to increase Mexican exports. The United States saw
             these companies as a chance to take advantage of the cheap cost of labor, the lack of Mexican
             labor and environmental rules and regulations, and few duties (Maquilas 1). The United States
             tariff schedules allow for the assembly of United States-made goods outside of the country and
             then, the return of the final product to the United States with duty only paid on the val
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