mports - commodities: metal-working machines, steel mill products,
agricultural machinery, electrical equipment, car parts for assembly,
repair parts for motor vehicles, aircraft, and aircraft parts

Imports - partners: US 74.8%, Germany 3.8%, Japan 3.5%, Canada 1.9%,
South Korea 2%, Italy 1.3%, France 1% (1999 est.)

Debt - external: $155.8 billion (1999)

Economic aid - recipient: $1.166 billion (1995)

Currency: 1 New Mexican peso (Mex$) = 100 centavos

Exchange rates: Mexican pesos (Mex$) per US$1 - 9.4793 (January 2000),
9.5604 (1999), 9.1360 (1998), 7.9185 (1997), 7.5994(1996), 6.4194
(1995)

Fiscal year: calendar year

@Mexico:Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 9.6 million (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 2.02 million (1998)

Telephone system: highly developed system with extensive microwave
radio relay links; privatized in December 1990; opened to competition
January 1997
domestic: adequate telephone service for business and government, but
the population is poorly served; domestic satellite system with 120
earth stations; extensive microwave radio relay network; considerable
use of fiber-optic cable, coaxial cable, and mobile cellular service
international: satellite earth stations - 32 Intelsat, 2 Solidaridad
(giving Mexico improved access to South America, Central America, and
much of the US as well as enhancing domestic communications), numerous
Inmarsat mobile earth stations; linked to Central American Microwave
System of trunk connections; high capacity Columbus-2 fiber-optic
submarine cable with access to the US, Virgin Islands, Canary Islands,
Morocco, Spain, and Italy (1997)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 865, FM about 500, shortwave 13 (1999)

Radios: 31 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 236 (plus repeaters) (1997)

Televisions: 25.6 million (1997)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 167 (1999)

@Mexico:Transportation

Railways:
total: 31,048 km
standard gauge: 30,958 km 1.435-m gauge (246 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 90 km 0.914-m gauge (1998 est.)

Highways:
total: 323,977 km
paved: 96,221 km (including 6,335 km of expressways)
unpaved: 227,756 km (1997 est.)

Waterways: 2,900 km navigable rivers and coastal canals

Pipelines: crude oil 28,200 km; petroleum products 10,150 km; natural
gas 13,254 km; petrochemical 1,400 km

Ports and harbors: Acapulco, Altamira, Coatzacoalcos, Ensenada,
Guaymas, La Paz, Lazaro Cardenas, Manzanillo, Mazatlan