U.S. Chamber of Commerce : Dec 11 - Business Leaders Chart Path Forward for U.S.-Mexico Economic Relations

CEO Dialogue Identifies Opportunities for Increased Cooperation, Sets Priorities for Future Collaboration

WASHINGTON, D.C.-U.S. and Mexican business leaders today concluded the U.S.-Mexico CEO Dialogue, providing recommendations on ways to improve and deepen the bilateral economic relationship between the two countries. Thomas J. Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and John Rice, chair of the Chamber's U.S.-Mexico Leadership Initiative (USMLI) and vice chairman of General Electric, led a delegation of senior private-sector representatives to Mexico City for the meetings.

During two days of talks, led on the Mexican side by Consejo Coordinador Empresarial (CCE) President Gerardo Gutiérrez Candiani and Grupo Alfa Chairman and CEO Armando Garza Sada, participants explored economic opportunities for the United States and Mexico and identified future priorities for collaboration in areas including infrastructure, energy, regulatory cooperation, customs modernization, and education and workforce development.

"This is a big agenda. It's a bold agenda. But it's doable if we commit ourselves to accomplishing it," Donohue said at the conclusion of the meetings. "Going forward, we will communicate the outcomes of our discussions to both governments, identify vehicles for the implementation of these recommendations, and work to engage stakeholders in both countries to foster an environment where the vision of the CEO Dialogue can be realized."

"By working together, we can help build a future of shared prosperity, security, and efficiency between the United States and Mexico - a goal worthy of our very best efforts," Donohue added. "Doing so will allow us to further integrate the North American market and make it more competitive in the global economy."

The CEO Dialogue is a mechanism for working toward the goals of increased economic participation between the United States and Mexico that Presidents Barack Obama and Enrique Peña Nieto set when they announced the U.S.-Mexico High Level Economic Dialogue earlier this year. The findings and recommendations produced during this week's discussions are meant to help inform lawmakers on a host of business and economic issues, providing meaningful private-sector input for economic policymaking in both governments.

"Once seen as a low cost manufacturing site, Mexico today is a dynamic market for U.S. goods and services, a growing home for joint innovation, and a partner to American companies around the world," Rice said.

Dialogue participants had the opportunity to discuss a variety of issues with senior public officials, including Mexican Secretary of Economy Ildefonso Guajardo, Mexican Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs for North America Sergio Alcocer, Mexican Undersecretary of Finance and Public Credit Fernando Aportela Rodríguez, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico E. Anthony Wayne, Mexican Ambassador to the United States Eduardo Medina Mora, and President of the Mexican National Conference of Governors Rafael Moreno Valle.

Additionally, the U.S. Chamber and CCE signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the start of the dialogue to formalize the partnership between the two organizations.

"The signing of this Memorandum of Understanding is a symbol of a new era in the relationship between Mexico and the United States, which we must now strengthen with concrete actions and agreements," Gutiérrez Candiani said.

Mexico is the second largest global market for the United States. Last year, the two countries exchanged nearly $500 billion in goods trade, equal to $1.35 billion of commerce crossing our shared border daily. That trade supports six million jobs in the U.S. Several new Chamber infographics illustrate the tremendous significance of this relationship.

International trade and investment is a key component of the Chamber's 2013 American Jobs and Growth Agenda, an ambitious plan to generate stronger economic growth, create jobs, and expand opportunity for all Americans.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations. Its International Affairs division includes more than 50 regional and policy experts and 25 country- and region-specific business councils and initiatives. The U.S. Chamber also works closely with 116 American Chambers of Commerce abroad.