Van Schoik discusses "Realizing the Full Value of Crossborder Trade with Mexico" in Washington, D.C.

Submitted by admin on January 26, 2012 - 2:14pm
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Washington, D.C.
January 26, 2012 
 
Earlier today Rick Van Schoik, Director of the North American Center for Transborder Studies (NACTS) at Arizona State University together with Michael C. Camuñez, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Market Access and Compliance discussed the report “Realizing the Full Value of Crossborder Trade with Mexico,” which was produced by the New Policy Institute (NPI) and researched by NACTS. 
 
The discussion was hosted and conducted by Simon Rosenberg, President of NPI in Washington, DC as well as by Kristian Ramos, Policy Director of the 21st Century Border Initiative at NPI/NDN. The panelists gave remarks on historical and current trading trends with Mexico as well as some of the newly emerging opportunities in the U.S.-Mexico robust commercial relationship.
 
Mr. Rosenberg initiated the discussion and pointed out that "It is our basic premise, as we think about this public debate here, that a secure border shouldn't be in anyway a strategic goal of the United States but rather a safe border should be [the goal]. We want a dynamic border, we don't want a static border."
 
Mr. Van Schoik stated that “trade and tourism has suffered across the U.S. - Mexico border, as most investment has been made between ports of entry rather than at the places where prosperity and productivity matters.  In terms of staffing, infrastructure, and technology, security along the border has trumped investment in the gateways to North American competitiveness with each other and the rest of the world.”
 
Additionally, Assistant Secretary Camuñez pointed out that "Our trade relationship with Mexico is very symbiotic, it's mutually beneficial. Mexican imports to the United States derive 64% of their content from U.S. products, so even the imports that we bring from Mexico drive U.S. exports. So it's a very virtuous cycle, a very productive, a very economically valuable relationship."
 
The panelists' participation concluded with a Q & A session, which gave members of the media an opportunity to take part on the discussion, as well as recognize NACTS and NPI for their work on an issue that doesn't receive enough attention.
 
The report is available on both NPI’s website as well as NACTS' website. In addition, the archived webcast of the discussion is available at spreecast.