XL hammock “Esperanza”

The Evolution of Mexican Hammock Exports: A Story of Competence

For the record, more than 10 years ago, Mexican hammocks suffered a significant drop in exports attributed to a transfer of skills. Indeed, several artisan associations (seeing no harm) have organized training for foreign artisans so that they can learn the techniques for manufacturing Mexican hammocks, a product that has become fashionable for certain Western countries. Learn more about Mexican hammocks

Skills transfer: Foreign artisans learn how to weave Mexican hammocks

Very quickly, the Mexican artisan community realized that these foreign artisans, returning to their country, began to make the famous Mexican hammocks themselves, which resulted in a drop in sales, particularly exports. towards Switzerland.

Unintended consequences: Falling sales and Chinese interest

Add to this an interest shown by Chinese producers, who in 2006 sent several students to Yucatan for hammock-making courses and you get a significant risk that the Chinese could mass-produce these Mexican hammocks and flood the market with them. hundreds of thousands of pieces.

Change of course: The reaction of Mexican artisans

Subsequently, this fear considerably modified the training strategy of Mexican artisans, who became quite reluctant to share their knowledge. “We don’t always win by opening up age-old wisdom.”