In Central America and Mexico, the terms of trade deteriorated and competition stiffened from Chinese manufactures (in labour-intensive sectors) in the United States market. These difficulties were partially offset by higher oil prices (in the case of Mexico) and larger remittance flows from migrant workers, the importance of which points up the inability of these countries to create jobs, skilled or unskilled. In the resource-rich countries of South America, rising terms of trade (particularly for mineral exporters) and robust exports produced a positive shock.