Mexico and the United States: 200 Years

Among the lessons learned along the way, we know that having a legal framework to protect our trade is essential.

Two hundred years after the establishment of diplomatic relations with the United States, it is worth recalling the lessons of our difficult common history and consolidating the progress achieved in recent years, so that exchanges develop within a framework of respect for national sovereignty and fruitful cooperation for the benefit of both peoples.

Among the lessons learned along the way, we know that having a legal framework to protect our trade and offer certainty to the bilateral relationship is essential. Finally, we now have a broad network of institutional arrangements and understandings that regulate our ties, including mechanisms for dialogue and negotiation to resolve our differences.

This December marks 30 years since Mexico signed the North American Free Trade Agreement, which began a new era in the bilateral relationship and strengthened trade with Canada. This was the starting point for the alignment of the three economies of our region, which was strengthened by the enactment of United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement two years ago, reaffirming the commitment to make North America one of the most dynamic and prosperous regions in the world.

According to official estimates, last September total U.S. trade in goods with Mexico came to $67.4 billion, followed by trade with Canada ($66.5 billion) and China ($62.2 billion). This gives us an idea of the importance of the U.S. market for our country, especially if we consider that Mexico exports 79.8% of its products to the U.S., mostly manufactured goods (88.2%) that are mainly shipped by land (64%).

The relationship between the U.S. and Mexico consists of a wide range of vitally important issues, the complexity and intensity of which is unparalleled anywhere else in the world. Our 3,152-kilometer (1,958-mile) border is one of the longest and busiest in the world, with 1 million legally documented people and 300,000 vehicles — including 70,000 cargo trucks — crossing daily.

The ties that bind our nations have a human dimension that increasingly influences the bilateral relationship, both because of the demographic and social impact of close to 40 million Mexicans or people of Mexican origin in the U.S., and their important contribution to the economy of both nations. The human factor is demonstrated in different ways, but its biggest challenge is represented by the migration phenomenon, the solution of which requires greater concerted efforts by both countries under the principle of shared responsibility.

I am convinced that Mexico has a huge opportunity to better integrate itself into the international economy by further strengthening our integration in North America, the most competitive region on the planet. Resolving pending trade differences and consolidating our strategic partnership with the United States and Canada is therefore of paramount importance.