Mexico City, Mexico – Today, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Consejo Coordinador Empresarial (CCE) concluded a meeting of the U.S.-Mexico CEO Dialogue, which convenes business leaders from both countries to promote policies driving economic growth through increased bilateral trade and investment. U.S. Chamber President and CEO Suzanne P. Clark met with Mexico’s newly inaugurated President Claudia Sheinbaum and key members of her Cabinet, marking the first private sector group meeting with President Sheinbaum and her new government.
At the Dialogue, President Sheinbaum outlined her ambitious plans for fostering shared prosperity and the transformative opportunity represented by nearshoring to build strong value chains and development. The conversations also focused on the importance of USMCA for continued North American integration and competitiveness.
Suzanne Clark said, “The U.S. has no more important economic partner than Mexico. We are each other’s largest trading partners, exchanging nearly $900 billion in goods and services annually. Not only do we trade; but we make things together: our shared supply chains have resulted in U.S. investment accounting for more than 40% of Mexico’s total foreign direct investment, supporting millions of good jobs in both countries.”
Clark continued, “We must also be candid about our challenges. It is imperative that all three parties to USMCA uphold their obligations—it’s what the Chamber has called on our own government to do. Recent constitutional reforms in Mexico have also added uncertainty for investors, and we applaud the priority that President Sheinbaum has placed on reassuring the international business community that its investments in Mexico will be secure. Going forward, we must unapologetically commit to the values uniting us—free enterprise, the rule of law, and democracy—that have allowed our nations to build the most dynamic, diverse, and resilient economic partnership in the world. Doing so is a matter of principle, and policy.”
During the meeting, CCE President Francisco Cervantes emphasized, “Today, we face global challenges that compel us to act swiftly, effectively, and in coordination. The relocation of supply chains, commercial competition with other regions, and geopolitical conflicts have ushered us into a new stage of industrial transformation. In this context, North America has the opportunity to consolidate itself as a highly competitive region, but only if we work together. The work of the five groups will help us identify concrete solutions in strategic areas such as investment, trade facilitation, trade policy, services, energy, and climate change. I am convinced that this meeting will mark a milestone in the consolidation of our alliances.”
Discussion focused on nearshoring of manufacturing and jobs—a priority for both the U.S. Chamber and President Sheinbaum— as well as around the fulfillment of USMCA obligations, and recent constitutional reforms in Mexico and implications for investors. Speakers included CCE President Francisco Cervantes, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar, Ambassador of Mexico the United States Esteban Moctezuma Barragán, and top Mexican Cabinet officials including the Secretary of Foreign Relations Juan Ramón de la Fuente and the Secretary of Economy Marcelo Ebrard, and CEO of Mexico Pacific Sarah Bairstow.
