an assembly plant in Mexico where parts are imported without having to pay tax, put together to make products, and then exported, usually to the US:
• a fast-growing city on the US border whose economy depends almost solely on maquiladoras
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maquiladora UK US /ˌmækiləˈdɔːrə/ noun [C] (also maquila)
► PRODUCTION a factory in Mexico that makes products cheaply for export to the US: »
Mexicali is a city with low-wage maquiladoras.
»According to studies, the average wage of maquila workers is lower now than it was in 2003.
Financial and business terms. 2012.