U.S.-Mexico Summit to explore vital issues

Ex-Mexican president to give keynote speech

Former Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo will deliver the keynote address to business leaders from both sides of the border at the 2018 U.S.-Mexico Summit today.

“As the border continues to be a focal point for policy discussion in Washington, our summit brings together prominent thinkers on the critical issues on NAFTA, border infrastructure, border security and our special bilateral relationship with Mexico,” said Jon Barela, Borderplex CEO.

The Borderplex Alliance is a nonprofit organization that advocates for economic development in the the Las Cruces region, El Paso and Ciudad Juárez.

Zedillo, now a scholar at Yale, is credited with furthering democracy in Mexico and presiding over the implementation of NAFTA during his term from 1994-2000. He will offer his perspective on the impact of current trade policies on businesses on both sides of the border.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Jim Jones who served from 1993-1997 will kick

off the daylong summit in El Paso with a breakfast discussion on the evolution of U.S.-Mexico relations.

“Having such important thought leaders headline our symposium symbolizes the importance of our conversation and the border relationship” said Luisa Del Rosal, executive director of the SMU Mission Foods Texas-Mexico Center.

The summit comes as the Trump administration is renegotiating NAFTA with Mexico and Canada and a month after left-of-center candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador won the July presidential election in a landslide. Lopez Obrador also wants NAFTA renegotiated.

In addition to threatening to scrap the trade pact, the Trump administration imposed tariff’s on steel from Mexico and other countries in May and Mexico retaliated with tariffs on U.S. agricultural products.

This year’s summit was organized by the Borderplex Alliance in collaboration with the SMU Mission Foods TexasMexico Center.

Panel discussion will focus on trade, economics, politics, infrastructure and manufacturing.

The summit will also include a roundtable with the mayors of Las Cruces, Sunland Park, El Paso and Ciudad Juárez.

Stanco Metal Products worker Joe Martinez loads steel rolls that will be used in the production of industrial parts to be shipped to Mexico. The Santa Teresa manufacturer faces challenges imposed by new U.S. tariffs.