UPCOMING EVENT! Strengthening Regional Competitiveness: An Update on the U.S.-Mexico High Level Economic Dialogue

WHEN: Wednesday, March 4, 9:30-11:00am

WHERE: 6th Floor Auditorium, Woodrow Wilson Center, Washington, DC

Click here to RSVP.

When Presidents Obama and Peña Nieto announced the creation of U.S.-Mexico High Level Economic Dialogue (HLED) in May 2013, they established a new strategic vision for economic cooperation, focused on delivering tangible and positive economic benefits to the people of the United States and Mexico. Stakeholder engagement is a fundamental component of the HLED, as highlighted by its inclusion in the recently announced list of 2015 strategic goals. Other key areas of work for the year include energy; modern borders; workforce development, regulatory cooperation; and partnering for regional and global leadership. Speakers will discuss the accomplishments of the HLED and priorities in U.S.-Mexico economic cooperation for the coming year.

Speakers

Stefan Selig
Under Secretary for International Trade, U.S. Department of Commerce

Catherine Novelli
Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, U.S. Department of State

José Raúl Perales
Assistant Secretary for the Private Sector, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Susan Kurland
Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs, U.S. Department of Transportation

Adam Sieminski
Administrator, U.S. Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy

Lori Faeth
Acting Assistant Secretary for Policy and International Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior

Kenneth Smith Ramos
Minister Counselor, Trade and NAFTA Office, Embassy of Mexico

For more information, or to RSVP, click here.

A live webcast will be available here.

How to Boost Border Competitiveness? Just Ask the Folks There.

2/10/2015 Forbes.com

By Christopher Wilson and Erik Lee

For years, the United States’ southern border with Mexico has provoked a range of fears, from terrorism and drugs to overwhelming numbers of unauthorized immigrants, prompting a security-first and often security-only approach to border management. Fear-based rhetoric may resonate in the echo chambers of Washington DC, but it feels wholly out of touch to most (though not all) residents of border communities.

Thankfully, with U.S.-Mexico trade at historic highs and growing faster than trade with any other major trading partner, it is increasingly difficult to ignore the importance of safe and efficient border management to the regional economy. U.S.-Mexico trade is now valued at well over a half trillion dollars per year, 80 percent of which crosses the U.S.-Mexico land border. This trade supports around six million U.S. jobs, and systems of co-production in manufacturing allow companies to combine the comparative advantages of the United States and Mexico, boosting the competitiveness of North America as a whole.

These trends are leading some political leaders to the realization that many in the border region have known for years: the border itself creates a lot of economic opportunity for both nations. And these folks in the border region—popularly imagined to be barely hanging on in a hail of gunfire, even on the sleepy U.S. side—are careful observers of what works and what does not work in terms of trade and economic development. Knowing this, we joined several other organizations in a year-long deep dive into the inner workings of the U.S.-Mexico border economy. But then even we were surprised by the sheer number, variety and magnitude of ideas emanating from this enormous, misunderstood and underappreciated region.

Read more…

Will it be déjà vu for Mexico in 2015?

2/6/2015 Financial Times

Not even two months into the new year and optimism about Mexico’s economic outlook is dimming.

Economists have trimmed their GDP forecasts for Mexico this year to an average of 3.2 per cent, according to the latest biweekly survey by Banamex published on Friday. That’s down from 3.36 per cent in the previous survey.

The median estimate for 2016 has also fallen, to 3.69 per cent from 3.77 per cent.

The diminished expectations come on the heels of the government’s decision to slash its 2015 budget by 124bn pesos ($8.3bn) — or the equivalent of 0.7 per cent of GDP — as it braces for the impact of lower oil prices.

Read more…

The U.S.-Mexico Border: Reporting on an Economy in Transition

The Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute has released a new report, “The U.S.-Mexico Border economy in Transition.” The report provides insight into day to day life and commerce along the border, and provides a series of recommendations to strengthen competitiveness. We spoke with Mexico Institute Senior Associate, Chris Wilson, to learn more about both the unique process behind the report and also about some of the best ideas emerging from the year-long project. That’s the focus of this edition of Wilson Center NOW.

EVENT REMINDER! Report Launch: The U.S.-Mexico Border Economy in Transition

WHEN: Tuesday, February 3rd, 9am-11am

WHERE: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington, DC

*A live webcast will be available.

The Woodrow Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute is pleased to invite you to the launch of the report, The U.S.-Mexico Border Economy in Transition. This report lays out the major issues involved in border region economic development, compiles the many innovative ideas developed at four forums, and weaves them into a series of policy recommendations that draw on the experiences of those who understand the border best: the individuals who live in border communities and who cross back and forth between Mexico and the United States as a part of their daily lives.

Speakers include: U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar (28th District of Texas), U.S. Representative Beto O’Rourke (16th District of Texas), U.S. Representative Juan Vargas (51st District of California), Antonio Ortiz Mena, Head of Section for Economic Affairs, Embassy of Mexico in the United States, Sue Saarnio, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Department of State, Diputada Imelda Guadalupe Alejandro De La Garza, Border Legislative Conference Chair and member, Nuevo León State Legislature, among others.

RSVP for the event and see the full agenda here. 

Follow the conversation live on Twitter using the hashtag #BorderEcon @MexicoInstitute

AT&T to Buy Nextel Mexico for $1.88 Billion

By THOMAS GRYTA.

AT&T on Monday took another step in its drive into Mexico by agreeing to buy Nextel Mexico for $1.88 billion, its second big deal in the country.

The Dallas-based telephone giant this month became the third-largest carrier in the country with 9.2 million subscribers when it closed its $2.5 billion deal to buy Mexican wireless operator Grupo Iusacell SA. The Nextel deal adds three million subscribers for AT&T, and will bring its wireless market share to about 12% once the two are combined, according to Citigroup data.

The purchase from NII Holdings Inc. includes airwave licenses, retail stores and a wireless network covering about 76 million people. The acquisition will need approval of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court and Mexican regulators, and will be conducted through an auction administered by the court.

Read more…

Upcoming Event! Report Launch: The U.S.-Mexico Border Economy in Transition

WHEN: Tuesday, February 3, 2015, 9:00-11:00am

WHERE: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

*A live webcast will be available.

Throughout 2014, our coalition of organizations held a series of four U.S.-Mexico Regional Economic Competitiveness Forums in order to engage border region stakeholders in a process to collectively generate a shared vision and policy recommendations to strengthen economic competitiveness. The effort involved the partnership of several organizations—the Border Legislative Conference (BLC), the Council of State Governments West (CSG West), the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars’ Mexico Institute, the North American Research Partnership, several members of the Congressional Border Caucus, and USAID-Mexico—and took us to San Diego/Tijuana, Nogales/Nogales, El Paso/Ciudad Juárez, and Laredo/Nuevo Laredo.

The Woodrow Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute is pleased to invite you to the launch of the report drawn from this effort, The U.S.-Mexico Border Economy in Transition. This report lays out the major issues involved in border region economic development, compiles the many innovative ideas developed at the forums, and weaves them into a series of policy recommendations that draw on the experiences of those who understand the border best: the individuals who live in border communities and who cross back and forth between Mexico and the United States as a part of their daily lives.

Speakers include*:

• Duncan Wood, Director, Mexico Institute, Wilson Center
• Representative Henry Cuellar, U.S. House of Representatives
• Representative Beto O’Rourke, U.S. House of Representatives
• Representative Juan Vargas, U.S. House of Representatives
• Edgar Ruiz, Executive Director, Council of State Governments-West
• Christopher Wilson, Senior Associate, Mexico Institute, Wilson Center
• Erik Lee, Executive Director, North American Research Partnership
• Elizabeth Hogan, Acting Assistant Administrator for the Latin America and Caribbean Bureau, USAID

*Agenda is tentative. 

To RSVP, click here.