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Mexico's private sector said Tuesday it was ready to accompany the
government delegation in the upcoming renegotiation of the North
American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
Talks on the two-decade deal between Mexico, the United States and
Canada are to begin in August in a bid to address U.S. President Donald
Trump's concerns that the existing agreement harms U.S. industry and
jobs.
The president of Mexico's Business Coordinating Council (CCE), Juan
Pablo Castanon, said in a statement that the various economic sectors
have held more than 200 meetings since the beginning of the year to
hammer out a unified strategy on each of the points to be debated.
"We have carried out extensive preparatory work with each sector of
the economy ... we are united and prepared," said Castanon, whose
organization gathers Mexico's leading business and industrial chambers.
Business leaders have formed an intelligence group to support the
negotiating team with information, analysis, potential scenarios and
concrete positions, he said.
The CCE has also consulted with politicians and lawmakers, workers
and academics, and industry observers, as well as establishing
communication channels with its U.S. and Canadian counterparts, he
added.
NAFTA should be renegotiated with the goal of increasing North
America's competitive edge and jobs market, while looking out for the
interests of Mexico's productive sectors, said Castanon.
"We firmly believe in our open (economic) model and we will strive to
find means of integration that will continue to strengthen North
America as the world's most competitive region," said Castanon.
Trump believes the U.S. economy has suffered factory closings and the loss of jobs since the treaty went into effect in 1994.
