Mexico is the second largest trading partner of the USA, representing close to 300 billion dollars in exports. For Mexico, the USA is by far the most important trading partner. So, a meeting between the presidents of both countries is important. On July 12 of 2022, they had their second meeting since Biden started his administration (19 months), although for a very brief time (less than one hour).
With a shared border of over 2000 miles, border-related topics are of major importance. In this regard, and of special interest to the Border Fusion Institute, are those related to the border communities and the economic integration of the region.
Here are the TOP 10 commitments expressed in the Joint Statement issued after the meeting: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/07/12/president-biden-and-president-lopez-obrador-joint-statement/
- The foundation of North American competitiveness is the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, and we reaffirm our commitment to its full implementation
- We have committed to jointly combat inflation by accelerating the facilitation of bilateral trade and reducing trade costs
- We are committed like never before to completing a multi-year joint U.S.-Mexico border infrastructure modernization effort
- We confirm our efforts to create a more inclusive workforce that is better educated, more competitive, and better trained to meet the needs of the 21st Century economy
- The next U.S.-Mexico High Level Economic Dialogue (HLED) in September will focus on strengthening mechanisms to create more secure and efficient corridors for trade and commerce
- Foster an environment that encourages investment to help generate more and better jobs for our people in both countries
- We reiterate our commitment to conduct outreach to understand stakeholder considerations to increase investment and bolster supply chain resilience, specifically in strategic sectors like semiconductors and information and communication technologies
- President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes $3.4 billion to undertake 26 major construction and modernization projects at land ports of entry on the northern and southern border
- Mexico has committed to invest $1.5 billion on border infrastructure between 2022 and 2024
- 10th North American Leaders Summit (NALS), which will take place in Mexico at the end of the year
These are all welcomed remarks, we look forward to them becoming reality.
