At Border Conference, Speakers Emphasize Trade
At Border Conference, Speakers Emphasize Trade
Speakers at COA’s border conference on August 7 spoke about improving management of the U.S.-Mexico border and heightening economic integration.
EL PASO — Mexico’s economy is the fastest growing among the North American Free Trade Agreement nations, and trade between it and the U.S. continues to grow each year.
But that growth is limited because of outdated infrastructure and policies crafted by out-of-touch leaders in Washington and Mexico City, according to several elected officials and business leaders who spoke Wednesday during a conference at the University of Texas at El Paso.
Speakers at the conference, co-sponsored by UTEP and the Council of the Americas, discussed improving management of the U.S.-Mexico border and economic integration.
Mexico’s gross domestic product in 2012 grew 3.9 percent, compared with growth rates of 1.7 percent and 2.2 percent for Canada and the United States, respectively, according to the World Bank.
Last year, Mexico was Texas’ largest trade partner and the United States' third-largest overall, behind Canada and China. Through May, trade that passed through the El Paso Customs District in 2013 totaled about $36.3 billion, and trade between the two countries was about $208.3 billion, an increase of about 1.2 percent compared with the same timeframe in 2012, according to U.S. census data analyzed by WorldCity, which uses U.S. census data to track trade patterns. The top commodities traded included oil, computer and auto parts.
exico’s Ambassador to the United States, Eduardo Medina Mora, said that figure was surprising because of what he called a 21st century trade relationship based on 20th century policies and a “19th century infrastructure....”
