However, neither Canadian nor Mexican banks seem to have achieved significant performance advantages over each other. Moreover, Mexico s domestic financial markets appear to offer substantial opportunities for future expansion due to the emerging middle class and the need for increased savings, cash management, and credit instruments for households and smaller businesses. There is also a pressing need for credit evaluation and rating services as the Mexican economy continues to substitute credit for cash transactions. The recent consortiums created between TRW and Group CIS and between Trans Union Corporation and the Association of Mexican Banks for credit-service operations suggests at least some progress towards expansion and diversification in the credit services sector. It is also difficult to get hold of meaningful lists of services offered because some services are rarely, if ever, sold but appear on advertising lists and it is difficult to rank more important from lesser services offered because volume data is not often released or, when it is released, is often not conveniently categorized for research purposes.
Banking remains one of the most important industries for study in the Western Hemisphere.
It is an essential industry to support economic development as well as market integration. The Center for Western Hemispheric Trade could be of substantial benefit to the public and especially to business users of financial services by providing comprehensive information on the services provided by hemispheric banks.