In USMF-IMCO Report, Carin Zissis Reflects on U.S.-Mexico Ties
In USMF-IMCO Report, Carin Zissis Reflects on U.S.-Mexico Ties
As the invited author for the Bilateral X-Ray think tank report, the AS/COA VP considers the promise and pitfalls of this World Cup moment.
Invited Author
The wait is almost over. Eight years after North America was selected to stage the first three-nation World Cup, fans everywhere can finally witness the opening match in Mexico City’s historic Estadio Azteca on June 11.
The event marks a crucial moment for trilateral ties as the three countries hunker down for the review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Since 2018, when they won their cohost bid, trade among USMCA partners soared by 27 percent to over $1.9 trillion. More recently, Mexico became Washington’s top trade partner and leading export market. As the global sporting tournament nears, a growing portion of Mexicans hold a positive view of bilateral relations, per El Financiero’s May poll.
Still, storm clouds are gathering over the U.S.-Mexico pitch. Washington has kept up pressure on Mexico to deliver on security cooperation, even as the Sheinbaum government resists extraditing indicted officials to the United States. Mexico City responded to revelations about CIA involvement in anti-cartel operations in its territory by doubling down on demands for respect of sovereignty. And, as the USMCA’s July 1 review deadline closes in, Mexico, like Canada, finds itself facing persistent U.S. tariffs or the possibility of the pact slipping into a process of annual reviews that threaten the region’s investment certainty. These kinds of openings and obstacles are what makes the Bilateral X-Ray indispensable by offering a monthly rundown of the analysis needed to understand the U.S.-Mexico relationship. As clock ticks down to the kickoff, dive into this essential read.
—Carin Zissis, Vice President of Content Strategy and Editor-in-Chief of AS/COA Online, Americas Society/Council of the Americas.
