maquiladora

American  

[muh-kee-luh-dawr-uh, mah-kee-ah-daw-rah] / məˌki ləˈdɔr ə, mɑˌki ɑˈdɔ rɑ /

noun

plural

maquiladoras

1. a factory run by a U.S. company in Mexico to take advantage of cheap labor and lax regulation.

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Etymology

Origin of maquiladora

1985–90; Mexican Spanish, perhaps < Spanish maquilar extract a toll

Example Sentences

“I didn’t hear a word about maquiladoras and factories and industries on the Mexican side and holding them accountable,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

For 10 years, they shared a room and worked long hours for low wages with no benefits in maquiladoras, the foreign-owned factories that dot the length of the U.S.-Mexico border.

From Seattle Times

Mr. Colom had success in textiles and Guatemala’s entry into large-scale production through assembly plants known in Spanish as maquiladoras.

From Washington Post

Employees at the maquiladora, as the border plants are known, had long been represented by a union affiliated with the Confederation of Mexican Workers.

From Seattle Times

Employees at the maquiladora, as the plants are known, had long been represented by a union affiliated with the Confederation of Mexican Workers.

From Seattle Times