The Western Maquiladora Association's aim is to help keep the San Diego/Northern Baja area maquiladora operators and related businesses informed about U.S. and Mexico changes that may affect their industry. Our association neither strives to promote itself nor the maquiladora industry.

The WMTA assists members in complying with U.S. and Mexican regulations and represents the maquiladora industry's interests with government agencies in both the United States and in Mexico. The WMTA works closely with the National Maquiladora Council (CNIME) and the Maquiladora Industry Association Coastal Zone of Baja California (AIM) in a proactive roll to help effect a desirable outcome to any changes that may affect our industry.

The WMTA is a non-profit organization funded solely through the membership of private businesses and it is governed by a board of directors who in turn elects its officers. The board, which is elected annually, is comprised of 20 members that include both maquiladora operators as well as members of the business community who are associated with the maquiladora industry.

The WMTA was founded in 1982 when a group of binational business people involved in the maquiladora industry started meeting regularly to discuss common concerns. The WMTA's roots predate 1982, however, as in the 1960's and 1970's many Baja California maquiladoras operators met informally to share their experiences in Mexico.

The WMTA's founders knew their industry, which started in 1965, was going through troublesome times and felt they could deal with problems more effectively as a group rather than as individuals. Discussion of shared concerns continues to be the driving force of the WMTA.

The WMTA, which is comprised of more than 125 members from the United States and Mexico, has become a respected and influential voice of the maquiladora industry. It remains an import binational forum to exchange ideas about WMTA member's challenges.