Distinguished Speaker Series:
Luis de la Calle, “USMCA & the Future of Mexican Economic Competitiveness”
May 23, 2022 – 6:00 p.m. PDT, Reception to follow / Institute of the Americas Complex
The COVID-19 pandemic, global supply chain disruptions, and high energy prices are all coming together to create a highly complex scenario for growth across the globe. Yet Mexico and the United States, along with Canada, have one thing that connects them and can create a window of opportunity for economic growth: the US-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA). The U.S. and Mexico have undergone over 25 years of deep economic integration, driven mostly by NAFTA, which was updated and replaced on July 2020 by the USMCA. This new deal modernized the existing trade and investment regime in North America by introducing rules that reflect the technological improvements and new value chain dynamics seen across the globe in the past few decades. This new trade regime will generate substantial opportunities for shared prosperity across many economic sectors and a boost to Mexico’s competitiveness. For Mexico, it could not have come at a better time, as it creates favorable conditions for nearshoring and for reducing risks from overstretched supply chains and from added stressors such as COVID-19-induced disruptions. The USMCA is also a key element for Mexico to truly leverage U.S.-China trade conflicts. At the same time, revamped rules of origin for manufacturing and a focus on innovation and emerging technologies, like fin-tech, have the potential to foster a deeper regional integration for many of North America’s most important products and industries, including the automotive sector—a linchpin of Mexican exports.
As many productive sectors are in distress, not only in Mexico but throughout the continent, with a COVID-19 resurgence looming and inflation persistently high, the USMCA provides one of the few avenues at Mexico’s disposal to revamp growth after the economic challenges of the past few years. If properly leveraged, the USMCA offers Mexico a unique opportunity to boost electric vehicles production, renewable energy, and other sustainable supply chains. In the long-run, this state-of-the-art trade agreement has the potential to influence economic policy and to deepen regional integration throughout North America, increasing our region’s economic competitiveness vis-à-vis the rest of the world.
Join us for a conversation surrounding these timely topics with Luis de la Calle, managing director and founding partner at De la Calle, Madrazo, Mancera, former undersecretary for international trade negotiations at Mexico’s Ministry of Economy and former Minister of Trade Issues at the Mexican Embassy in Washington, D.C.
REGISTRATION COST: Free (but registration is required due to limited seating)
Speaker Bio
Managing Director and Founding Partner, de la Calle, Madrazo, Mancera, S.C. (CMM), Mexico City
Luis de la Calle
Luis de la Calle is the managing director and founding partner at de la Calle, Madrazo, Mancera, S.C. (CMM), offering strategic advice to clients on issues related to the economy, regulatory processes, and international trade. Prior to joining the private sector, he served as undersecretary for international trade negotiations in Mexico’s Ministry of the Economy. In this capacity he negotiated several of Mexico’s bilateral free trade agreements and regional and multilateral agreements with the World Trade Organization. During his term as undersecretary, he was a member of the Board at Pemex Exploration and Production and at the national forest commission; he was also executive secretary of the national foreign investment commission. Before he took office as undersecretary, Luis de la Calle served as trade and NAFTA minister at the Mexican Embassy in Washington, D.C. During his term he was instrumental in crafting and implementing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Luis de la Calle also worked at the World Bank as country economist for the Czech and Slovak Republics, Poland, and the former Zaire. He has served as a professor at various academic institutions. He has a long list of publications and writes a bi-weekly column entitled “¿Qué más?” for the Mexican daily El Universal. Dr. de la Calle is a lecturer on international trade, the Mexican economy and other fields of academic research. He received his undergraduate degree in economics from ITAM and holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Virginia.
Speaker Bio
Luis de la Calle
Managing Director and Founding Partner, de la Calle, Madrazo, Mancera, S.C. (CMM), Mexico City
Luis de la Calle
Luis de la Calle is the managing director and founding partner at de la Calle, Madrazo, Mancera, S.C. (CMM), offering strategic advice to clients on issues related to the economy, regulatory processes, and international trade. Prior to joining the private sector, he served as undersecretary for international trade negotiations in Mexico’s Ministry of the Economy. In this capacity he negotiated several of Mexico’s bilateral free trade agreements and regional and multilateral agreements with the World Trade Organization. During his term as undersecretary, he was a member of the Board at Pemex Exploration and Production and at the national forest commission; he was also executive secretary of the national foreign investment commission. Before he took office as undersecretary, Luis de la Calle served as trade and NAFTA minister at the Mexican Embassy in Washington, D.C. During his term he was instrumental in crafting and implementing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Luis de la Calle also worked at the World Bank as country economist for the Czech and Slovak Republics, Poland, and the former Zaire. He has served as a professor at various academic institutions. He has a long list of publications and writes a bi-weekly column entitled “¿Qué más?” for the Mexican daily El Universal. Dr. de la Calle is a lecturer on international trade, the Mexican economy and other fields of academic research. He received his undergraduate degree in economics from ITAM and holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Virginia.
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