Luis Rubio
One frequently hears the in-joke that Canada and Mexico have a problem in common. In effect, in contrast with European nations -some big, some smaller, but none overwhelming- the dimensions and transcendence of our common neighbor entail singular characteristics. Decades ago, Canada and Mexico opted to convert the United States into an opportunity for economic development; however, each of these nations acts very distinctly, and the effect of those differences is much greater instability and unpredictability for the Mexican flank.
Although most Canadians speak English, their culture is very distinct from and contrasts with that of the U.S. More European in their conduct and social organization, Canadians take pride in their differences concerning their U.S. neighbors. Nonetheless, several decades ago, they decided that their economic future would greatly benefit from a tight linkage with their neighbor to the South.
Since the sixties, they established the first formal trade agreement for the automotive sector with the so-called “auto pact” (APTA) in 1965 that joined the two nations in their industrial heart (above all, in the beginning, the province of Ontario with the state of Michigan) to subsequently convert it into the world’s most active industrial-exchange zone for automotive matters. Decades later, they negotiated a free trade agreement (FTA) between the two nations, followed a short while later when Mexico came on board with the North American Free Trade Agreement, known as NAFTA.
Beyond the formal institutions, Canadians recognize the crucial importance of their economic ties with the United States. They have developed systematic and permanent strategies to ensure that nothing and no one calls into question the viability of the structures (the treaties) that support them. The contrast with Mexico is extraordinary and notable. For Canadians, there is no doubt about the need to nurture and preserve the political ties that make the successful functioning of their economy possible. Consequently, they devote enormous resources to preserving these ties.
It is not that Canada is altruistic or has sold itself out to the Americans. The logic of its action is based on the best Canadian national interest: they recognize the centrality of the U.S. for its well-being and, therefore, they invest time and resources in all decision-making ambits in the U.S. Every federal ministry, as well as the provincial premiers, visit their counterparts in the U.S., have a presence in the U.S. Congress and Senate and present evidence of the transcendence for the U.S. of the Canadian economy. In economic terms, they protect their supply chains and advocate for the interests of their nation. In addition, they assume as theirs the U.S. priorities in ambits such as relations with China (e.g., blocking Tik Tok and Huawei), all to avoid its being the target of U.S. political ire, recently exacerbated by the US’s new President. They accept certain limitations for the sake of attaining general well-being without ceding any fundamental principle.
Mexico lives from its exports to the U.S. The supply chains that transverse the three North American nations are crucial for the production of all types of goods, and the Mexican contribution to the process is not only critical for these three nations but transcendental for Mexico’s own economy. The exports translate into demand for goods and services inside Mexico, generating economic activity throughout the entire national territory. Were we Canadians, we would be devoted body and soul to protecting the permanence of the mechanism that makes these exports and their counterparts possible in the form of foreign investment. Notwithstanding this, despite Mexico’s having put together a very ambitious political strategy in the nineties to secure the approval of the original FTA (NAFTA), that exercise was not sustained, and we now see the consequences…
It is obvious that Mexico entertains a challenge distinct from that of Canada, which implies it being the target of interminable attacks on the part of U.S. politicians, principally regarding migration, drugs, and the violence exercised by organized crime, some of which transcends toward the U.S. It is evident that these are matters that clearly should concern Mexicans and that affect Mexico as much or more than the U.S., but successive Mexican governments have done next to nothing to confront them in Mexico and have been completely negligent in advocating for Mexican interests within the political realm of its neighbor to the North. Much would be gained by acting decisively in these internal ambits to improve the perspectives of CUSMA/USMCA/T-MEC, but this should be in addition to a well-developed political strategy within the U.S. governmental apparatus.
In 1962, John F. Kennedy said, “Geography has made us neighbors. History has made us friends. The economy has made us partners, and necessity has made us allies.” President Trump would never pronounce a phrase such as this. Still, Mexico should dedicate itself to ensuring that at least the society and the friendship would begin to reestablish themselves starting now…
@lrubiof
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