Category: Media Interview
By Larissa Garcia
Source: MNI

Antonio Ortiz-Mena argues that the likelihood of the United States withdrawing from the USMCA has been reduced to virtually zero. The minimum term of the trade agreement is currently 10 years. By choosing that option and deciding not to withdraw from the trade agreement, Washington has guaranteed that certainty. Ortiz-Mena notes that the idea that a 16-year agreement would provide certainty was a flawed premise. There will be issues that must be resolved bilaterally, on the one hand, between Mexico and the United States, and trilaterally, among the three countries, on the other. This reflects the countries’ differing interests in key sectors, such as agriculture. Washington’s repeated use of unilateral measures hinders investment planning and represents a break from the previous trade dynamic among the three trading partners. The main challenge today is to reduce uncertainty, rather than to completely eliminate tariffs.