Coparmex builds joint agenda with government, business leaders and experts to strengthen free trade and north american competitiveness

• The “Mexico–North America Trade Summit: Beyond USMCA” organized by COPARMEX gathered key voices to outline a strategic development agenda. 
• Collaboration between the public and private sectors is key to seizing opportunities and mitigating risks in the current international context. 
• Mexico must leverage the USMCA and other alliances to position itself as a key player in the North American region. 

 Consolidating Mexico as a key trade partner in North America and enhancing its role in global markets requires vision, strategy, and unity. In the face of an international environment marked by trade tensions, new regulations, and geopolitical and geoeconomic shifts, COPARMEX is promoting a trinational agenda that boosts competitiveness and fosters economic integration that benefits both businesses and Mexican families. 

With the goal of bringing together government representatives, business leaders, and foreign trade experts, the Mexican Employers’ Confederation (COPARMEX) held the “Mexico–North America Trade Summit: Beyond USMCA.” The event served as a platform to analyze the impact of the trilateral agreement on the region’s economy, identify ways to fully leverage its benefits, and explore alternatives to diversify markets, thereby enhancing the global competitiveness of Mexican businesses. 

The day began with the keynote session “Foreign Trade Outlook: Challenges and Opportunities for North America,” featuring Juan José Sierra Álvarez, National President of COPARMEX, and Marcelo Ebrard Casaubón, Secretary of Economy. This conversation opened space to reflect on the future of regional trade in a turbulent international context. 

During his speech, Juan José Sierra emphasized the importance of strengthening regional integration and diversifying markets. “This Summit is a meeting point for informed and constructive dialogue. We gathered with the purpose of analyzing the impact of the USMCA on Mexico’s and North America’s economies, identifying strategies to maximize its benefits, and at the same time, exploring alternatives that allow us to diversify our export markets and strengthen global competitiveness,” he stated. 

Marcelo Ebrard highlighted that we are transitioning toward a more protectionist system in which competition is no longer just about comparative advantages but about market access costs. He pointed out: “Within this new system, still largely undefined, what we must seek is for Mexico’s conditions to be more favorable than those of our competitors. That is the goal.” He also noted that amid U.S.-China tensions, Mexico has the opportunity to use its trade agreements to diversify markets and expand its commercial presence in the Asia-Pacific region. He put it this way: “We can make the leap to becoming an exporting country to many world regions. There is no structural reason not to. Today, we are mostly oriented toward the United States, which is logical and will not change, but we can qualitatively become a much more important player in exports to other regions.” 

Next came the panel “Analysis of Current Tariff Policy,” which aimed to provide a comprehensive view of the impact of tariffs on investment, trade, and competitiveness. It featured Brenda Estefan, professor at IPADE Business School, and Lila Abed, Director of the Mexico Program at the Inter-American Dialogue, moderated by Nimbe Ewald, COPARMEX’s Delegate Counselor for U.S. Relations. 

The Summit continued with the conference “From USMCA to Strategic Integration,” led by Kenneth Smith, former chief negotiator of the agreement, and moderated by Fernando Treviño, Vice President of International and Labor Affairs at COPARMEX.  

The session provided a perspective on the challenges and opportunities for Mexico’s competitiveness in the region. He stressed that while USMCA offers some protection against tariffs, risks remain due to new national security investigations in the U.S. He insisted that the country must take a leading role through effective public policies, support for innovation, and promotion of regional value chains. 

In the session “Reflections from the Washington Visit,” Juan José Sierra shared key takeaways from COPARMEX’s visit to the U.S. capital, highlighting the value of institutional dialogue as a tool to build trust, defend democracy, and strengthen bilateral mechanisms for economic cooperation. “This tour is a starting point, a first step toward a sustained agenda of work, influence, advocacy, and engagement. We return from Washington with new allies, concrete proposals, and collaboration opportunities that will translate into real projects for our companies and our region,” he emphasized. 

At the Summit’s closing, Fernando Treviño, National Vice President for International Affairs, and Nimbe Ewald, COPARMEX’s Delegate Counselor for U.S. Relations, highlighted the importance of continuing to build a strategic agenda between the public and private sectors to take advantage of today’s international context. 

This gathering demonstrated that USMCA represents more than a trade agreement: it is a platform to build a more prosperous, inclusive, and resilient region. Market diversification, innovation promotion, and a reliable legal framework are essential pillars for advancing toward economic integration that benefits both businesses and people. 

Strengthening the bilateral relationship with the United States remains a strategic priority for Mexico on issues such as investment, trade, migration, labor, and security. Therefore, the Confederation promotes a binational business agenda grounded in respect, dialogue, and cooperation across sectors. It is essential to promote cooperation mechanisms, contribute to shared development, and uphold principles that position Mexico as a key regional actor. 

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