Keynote Speaker:

• Bill Cassidy, U.S. Senator (R-LA)

Panelists:

• Eric Farnsworth, Vice President, Council of the Americas, former White House Senior Advisor to the Special Envoy for the Americas
• James Mulvenon, Director of Intelligence Integration, SOS International LLC
• David R. Shedd, Visiting Fellow, Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy, The Heritage Foundation, and former Acting Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency
• Ana Rosa Quintana, Senior Policy Analyst, Latin America and the Western Hemisphere, The Heritage Foundation (moderator)

“The degree to which we are not engaged [with Latin America] is the degree to which China takes root,” said Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana in remarks to open a virtual discussion hosted in collaboration with The Heritage Foundation. Following the senator’s remarks, panelists discussed China’s ambitions and aid largesse in Latin America, the region in which the majority of the United States’ free-trade partners are. Eric Farnsworth talked about reinforcing the benefits of free trade in an era when many companies and countries are rethinking their dependence on China. James Mulvenon explained how China’s global activities and objectives have shifted during the pandemic, and David Shedd discussed the future of Taiwan’s profile in Latin America.

Speakers:

• Arturo Sarukhan, former Mexican Ambassador to the U.S. 
• Earl Anthony Wayne, former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico 
• Ann Wilson, Senior Vice President, Government Affairs, Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association
• Eric Farsnworth, Vice President, Council of the Americas (moderator)

Amid tensions over U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to impose escalating tariffs on Mexican imports, Council of the Americas brought together experts on trade and diplomacy for a timely panel to discuss the repurcussions of such actions and how Mexico should respond. Ann Wilson said that, per MEMA's calculations, $457 million worth of auto parts cross the U.S.-Mexico border every single day, meaning a huge cost for U.S. consumers seeking to purchase vehicles. But the costs don't stop there: even for consumers who don't own cars, costs will go up as truck and transport prices rise. Ambassador Earl Anthony Wayne pointed out that tying tariffs to migration flows and expecting immediate results is not reasonable, given overburdened immigration agencies in both countries, saying that it is "not a problem you can turn on and off in a week." Meanwhile, Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan predicted that the Trump administration will seek to proceed with the 5 percent tariffs slated to go into effect on June 10, noting that the president is looking for a trophy, not an agreement. 

• Learn about the COA Trade Advisory Group.
• COA Statement: Tariff Proposal Threatens U.S. and Mexican Economies
• Get the numbers on migration and Mexico tariffs.