Manufacturing exports are inviting because revenue streams tend to be one-sided helping the exporting country's cash flow. The Maquiladora program in Mexico even makes certain the finished products do not find their way to Mexican markets. We are also seeing an uglier side of manufacturing. We see the same occurrence all over the world. That Mexican worker may someday have his job 'offshored' to Guatemala or Ethiopia.
Manufacturing offers little long-term promise in a world that is shrinking technologically.
Consider the service economy. It is much more difficult to ship the service economy offshore. Most service industries have to be physically located near their customers. Add the language and cultural implications it is almost impossible for foreign service businesses to compete. Therefore the labor and cash flows tend to remain local.