THE NEWS
NEW YORK CITY – North America’s commerce is loosing dynamism in comparison to other regions of the world, which is why the trilateral relationship must be boosted, said Mexico’s Ambassador to the United States, Arturo Sarukhan.
“North America is losing energy because we have not addressed several regulatory challenges and we have not understood that the way to boost commerce is through the strengthening of the relationship,” said the ambassador during the celebration of Mexican Housing Day celebrated in New York City.
The ambassador declared that in 1995 the countries that form the North American Free Trade Agreement (Mexico, the United States and Canada), were responsible for 19 percent of transactions worldwide, however, that percentage dropped to 12 percent in 2006.
“We must stop the protectionism that exists among the three countries. We need to develop a new vision in regards to the North American market,” he said.
The ambassador added that even though Mexico has not been a priority on the agenda of the United States, President Obama maintains a good relationship with Mexico. Nevertheless, it is necessary to strengthen it and look for common goals, such as job creation and security.
“In order for Mexico to stop the flow of cocaine coming from Colombia, it is necessary that the United States stops the flow of money and guns,” he said.
Ambassador Sarukhan stated that the United States has adopted a protectionist attitude toward its trade partners. Proof of that is the fact that the United States has not ratified agreements with Colombia and Panama.