TRADE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MEXICO AND THE UNITED KINGDOM FROM THE BREXIT

 

LONDON, United Kingdom, 9th February 2017.- Dr Luis de la Calle, who was involved in the design, promotion and implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), participated last night in a roundtable discussion of UK trade opportunities, once que Brexit takes place.

 

De la Calle who led Mexico's negotiations for the bilateral free trade agreements and regional and multilateral negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) from 1994 to 2006, was invited by the Legatum Institute's Special Trade Commission as part of an effort to share the talent and experience of negotiating with USA, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore and Switzerland, in the framework of the process of separation of the UK from the EU.

 

The Commission drew up a route of trade negotiations to be undertaken by the United Kingdom in the coming weeks. The document was presented and discussed with members of Parliament and with members of the negotiating cabinet of Prime Minister Theresa May.

 

On the panel, the speakers explained that the current historical situation offers to the UK an opportunity to visualise Brexit in a more constructive way, beyond the implicit challenges, with the aim of adopting different measures in the unilateral aspect, to strengthen its economy and to face the challenges of competitiveness vis-à-vis Europe and to promote bilateral agreements in the Asian market and with emerging economies in Latin America, particularly with Mexico.

 

At the multilateral level, De la Calle agreed with the panellists to address the issue of regulatory frameworks and the leadership that the UK should take in the negotiation process, in WTO fora and in the creation of new regional blocs.

 

He also agreed with the other panellists that the UK should take advantage of its current position as the fifth global economy to negotiate with Europe, since the window of opportunity is still now open for convenient trade agreements with each nation.

 

Director General and founding partner of the consulting firm De la Calle, Madrazo, Mancera, the Mexican presenter -who was Under Secretary for International Trade Negotiations at the Mexican Secretary of Economy during the administrations of former presidents of Mexico Ernesto Zedillo and Vicente Fox- participated in the round table which was attended by businessmen, analysts and diplomats, including the Chargé d' Affaires of the Embassy of Mexico in the United Kingdom, David Najera.

 

During his introduction at the event, it was recalled that during his tenancy as Minister for Commercial Affairs at the Mexican Embassy in Washington, D.C., Dr. De la Calle had the opportunity to participate in the design, promotion and implementation of the NAFTA.

 

Likewise, he emphasised the clarity of goals and the effect on other negotiations that the first FTA had for Mexico, inviting the British public to consider their current situation with the EU, with a globalised vision and to promote the advantages for an open economy.

 

The participation of Dr. De la Calle in the event of the Legatum Institute - who is currently a member of the Aeroméxico Board of Directors and Counsellor of the Mexican Federal Electricity Commission - took place only a few days after a telephone conversation between the Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Luis Videgaray and his British counterpart, Boris Johnson, in which both endorsed their intention to negotiate a free trade agreement as soon as the UK exit process from the European Union allows it.

 

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