U.S. Chamber Launches U.S.-Mexico Leadership Initiative Ahead of Calder?n Speech to Business Community

Effort Will Make Bilateral Trading Relationship a Global Model

WASHINGTON, D.C.—In an effort to highlight the importance of economic engagement between the United States and Mexico during President Felipe Calderón's visit to Washington, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce launched a CEO-level Leadership Initiative today between the countries that will make the bilateral relationship a global model for best practices by the year 2020.

"The U.S.-Mexico relationship has reached a critical moment and we need to do more," said U.S. Chamber President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue while introducing Mexico's president at the Chamber today. "This initiative is about taking our economic partnership to the next level. We are delighted to host President Calderón to discuss these and other business priorities."

The Leadership Initiative will provide the strategic energy behind Vision 2020, a five-point plan for enhancing the U.S.-Mexico economic partnership. The plan is intended to:

1. Make both countries more competitive in global markets;
2. Make our border a model for the 21st century;
3. Leverage the continent's energy resources while protecting the environment;
4. Raise living standards for our citizens; and
5. Do so all within a framework that respects national sovereignty and national interests.

"To say the United States is invested in the success of Mexico is an understatement," Donohue said. "The Chamber is building a program that will move the economic partnership between the United States and Mexico from a policy aspiration to a reality."

In his remarks, Donohue pointed out that two-way trade between the countries surpassed $300 billion last year, and Mexico is second only to Canada as a market for U.S. exports. U.S. companies have invested nearly $100 billion in Mexico — twice the amount U.S. companies have invested in China.

"More important than raw data are the real jobs this partnership brings," Donohue said. He pointed to the Chamber's recently released study that found more than 6 million American jobs depend on trade with Mexico and 1.7 million of these jobs are tied to NAFTA.

The complete U.S.-Mexico Leadership Initiative Vision 2020 is available at:
www.uschamber.com/international/americas/mexico_leadership2020.htm

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.

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