Donohue: Tenth Meeting of the U.S.-Mexico CEO Dialogue Shows “Fresh Energy” and “Renewed Momentum”
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Business leaders from the United States and Mexico today concluded the tenth meeting of the U.S.-Mexico CEO Dialogue, a series of meetings and discussions that focused heavily on analyzing the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement and setting shared policy priorities in advance of the seating of a new government in Mexico.
The U.S.-Mexico CEO Dialogue is a semiannual, private-sector forum fostering conversation on key economic and trade issues that impact the relationship between the two countries. The U.S. delegation is led by Thomas J. Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and David Cunningham, president and CEO of FedEx Express, who both serve as co-chairs. The Mexican delegation is also led by two co-chairs: Juan Pablo Castañón, chairman of Mexico’s Consejo Coordinador Empresarial (CCE), and Guillermo Vogel, vice chairman of the board of Tenaris.
“With a new North American trade deal in hand and a new government preparing its agenda for Mexico’s future, this was an important time for this group of private-sector leaders to gather — and we had a lot to talk about,” said Donohue. “When it comes to an economic relationship as significant as the one between the U.S. and Mexico, there will always be work to do, challenges to tackle, and opportunities to harness. It’s clear that the business communities in both countries are ready to apply fresh energy and renewed momentum to our efforts, actively engaging with governments on both sides of the border to push pro-growth policies and position our economies for mutual prosperity for years to come.”
Several officials from the U.S. government participated in this meeting of the U.S.-Mexico CEO Dialogue, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, and Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen.
Additionally, the U.S.-Mexico CEO Dialogue hosted several members of President Enrique Peña Nieto’s administration, including Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray and Secretary of Economy Ildefonso Guajardo, as well as incoming administration officials, including the designated Chief USMCA Negotiator Jesús Seade and the designated Undersecretary of Foreign Trade Luz María de la Mora.
“North America is a stronger region today because the three countries achieved an agreement that will allow us to continually integrate our economies, increase the competitiveness of our products, and create more jobs,” said Castañón. “Today, the business community has stronger ties that will allow us to increase our exchanges, integrate new production chains, and increase investment flows. We call on the governments of the United States and Mexico — both outgoing and incoming — to revitalize the High Level Economic Dialogue, which was created especially to deepen our economic and commercial relations.”
Over the course of the Dialogue, the business leaders identified several near-term bilateral policy priorities where private-sector engagement and advocacy will play a key role, including trade facilitation, innovation, anti-corruption, and workforce development, among others.
“The U.S.-Mexico CEO Dialogue is the best mechanism for our long-term relationship, not only as neighbors but as economic partners,” said Vogel. “The partnership between our private sectors should transcend our governments in order to identify new challenges and propose joint solutions to overcome them.”
The U.S.-Mexico CEO Dialogue was created in 2013 by the U.S. Chamber and CCE as a platform to strengthen economic and commercial ties between the two countries. The Dialogue convenes U.S. and Mexican companies committed to and investing in both markets in order to produce recommendations aimed at providing meaningful private-sector input for economic policymaking in both governments.
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 80 regional and policy experts and 25 country- and region-specific business councils and initiatives. The U.S. Chamber also works closely with 117 American Chambers of Commerce abroad.
