2022 made history because of the historic, unified response among key nations to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia’s invasion not only signaled a direct assault on the international order in Europe and against many values cherished among democracies, but it also set off additional disruptions in global supply chains, still reeling from pandemic effects, and affecting food, fertilizer, and energy supplies, as well as fueling global inflation. Russia’s brutal assault incentivized North American, European, and Asian partners to coordinate policies and actions more closely via NATO, the G7, and US-EU collaboration. The conflict fed doubts about China’s international role after it decided to align more closely with Russia—a trend reinforced by China’s renewed threats toward Taiwan. The US and many other countries were already struggling to respond to the transformations underway in the version of globalization that had interlinked economies from north and south, east and west, for the past two decades, in rising geostrategic rivalries, and democratic backsliding at home and abroad. Russia’s invasion helped to put those challenges into a starker reality and spur cooperation. Those banding together to oppose Russia’s aggression continue to face serious challenges, as they work to fashion and sustain effective cooperation in circumstances that are severely testing domestic policy-making institutions, as well as international agreements, organizations, and problem-solving mechanisms. Thus far, however, the concerted multi-nation response to Russia’s invasion has made 2022 a historic year with the potential to be truly pivotal. Earl Anthony Wayne

Today, the USMCA is more important than ever for the prosperity of North America. During the USMCA’s third year, North American trade has reached over $2.6 a minute and continues to grow by double-digit percentages. This growth significantly surpasses pre-pandemic levels. Moreover, Canada and Mexico remain the United States’ top trading partners. The USMCA can also help the three North American partners to realize the benefits of reshoring and nearshoring from Asia. Many analysts have discusse

The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is more important than ever for the prosperity of North America. During USMCA’s third year, North American trade has reached over $2.6 a minute and continues to grow by double digit percentages. This growth significantly surpasses pre-pandemic levels. Moreover, Canada and Mexico remain the United States’ top trading partners. The USMCA provides continent-wide rules, norms, and problem-solving processes that can help the three countries to conti

North America was trending in the midterm elections, although you may have missed it. Think about the top campaign issues in races across the country: economic recovery and job creation, inflation, the price of gasoline, immigration, border security, increasing crime and suffering in communities devastated by fentanyl and other drugs. With the exceptions of abortion and election integrity, virtually every issue that motivated voters also impacts — and is impacted by — North America. In short, relations with Mexico and Canada touch the daily lives of more Americans than do ties with any other countries in the world. And with President Biden having recently returned from Asia and his first presidential face-to-face meeting with China’s Xi Jinping, we are reminded that a more unified North America is required to meet the China challenge, economically and strategically. A disunited North America is catnip for global authoritarians. A stronger, more collaborative North American strategy can strengthen the United States’s ability to compete with China and others as the global scene transforms.

By EARL ANTHONY WAYNE, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico In October 2021, Mexico and the United States launched a “High-Level Security Dialogue” (HLSD) to step up collaboration and rebuild trust in efforts to counter deadly cross-border crime. Mexican and U.S. cabinet members just held a one-year review of those efforts. The two governments have made some good progress, but much serious work remains to effectively counter and reduce the great harm that cross-border organized crime is causing to

In October 2021, Mexico and the United States launched a “High Level Security Dialogue” (HLSD) to step up collaboration and rebuild trust in efforts to counter deadly cross-border crime. Mexican and US cabinet members just held a one-year review. The two governments have made some good progress, but much serious work remains to effectively counter and reduce the great harm that cross-border organized crime is causing to communities across both countries. The challenge remains to turn agreed objectives into effective bilateral action plans and measurable outcomes. Of particular importance going forward is establishing a clear, comprehensive, multi-year strategy for reducing supplies of the deadly drug fentanyl as well as for reducing US demand for this lethal drug. The US suffered 108,000 drug overdose deaths in the latest reported yearly figures, and some 2/3 of those deaths were from synthetic opioids, particularly fentanyl.

I am happy to have contributed an article on the importance of workforce development programs to this excellent new collection on how cooperation across North America can boost well being in Canada, Mexico and the United States. North America has survived a tumultuous three decades since the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. What characterizes our shared region today? What sort of region can advance our shared interests and well-being over the next generation? This volume offers an agenda for how the region’s leaders can forge inclusive and effective strategies that ensure North America’s next decades build upon past successes—while addressing serious shortcomings.

By EARL ANTHONY WAYNE, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico A year ago, Mexico and the United States launched a High-Level Security Dialogue (HLSD). In recognition of 200 years of bilateral relations, they agreed on a Bicentennial Framework for Security, Public Health and Safe Communities, with the hope of rebuilding cooperation to counter the deadly crime that harms many tens of thousands on both sides of the border. In January 2022, the two governments further agreed on a set of objectives for t

A year ago, Mexico and the United States launched a “High-Level Security Dialogue” (HLSD). In recognition of the 200 years of bilateral relations, they agreed on a “Bicentennial Framework for Security, Public Health and Safe Communities,” with the hope of rebuilding cooperation to counter the deadly crime that harms many tens of thousands on both sides of the border. In January 2022, the two governments further agreed on a set of objectives for the security partnership, to cover three pillars o

By EARL ANTHONY WAYNE, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico Two years into the North American Free Trade Agreement (USMCA), many challenges and opportunities for forging an Integrated North America remain. The USMCA, known in Mexico as the Tratado entre México, Estados Unidos y Canada (T-Mec), created an updated legal framework within which the private sectors in Mexico, the United States and Canada, as well as the three national governments, can address and manage a wider range of trade issues th

One year after the fall of Kabul and departure of U.S. troops, the United States still has an important policy and action agenda regarding Afghanistan but with less leverage in a country suffering serious problems. Millions in Afghanistan face the dire effects of a devastating humanitarian and economic crisis. The Taliban government is focused on installing its version of an Islamic Emirate and cementing control. The new regime gives little priority to including non-Taliban Afghans or to the hu

One year after the fall of Kabul and departure of U.S. troops, the United States still has an important policy and action agenda regarding Afghanistan, but with less leverage in a country suffering serious problems. Millions in Afghanistan face the dire effects of a devastating humanitarian and economic crisis. The Taliban government is focused on installing its version of an Islamic Emirate and cementing control. The new regime gives little priority to including non-Taliban Afghans or to the h

This report was done by a group of seniors at American University's School of International Service as part of the State Department's Diplomacy Laboratory program, working with retired Ambassador Wayne. Here is the Executive Summary: The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement or USCMA is now in its third year of implementation. Notably, trade across North America has surpassed pre-pandemic levels growing to a total of $1.26 trillion in 2021 or $2.6 million a minute.i To add perspective, a record 75% of Mexican and Canadian imports came from the US in 2021. Both countries are also the US’ largest trading partners accounting for over twice trade with China. The trade ministers and their teams are deeply engaged in a wide range of issues as was evident in the agenda for July meeting in Canada This agenda includes not only hard trade and investment issues but also how to make USMCA more inclusive of communities that are traditionally underrepresented in trade.ii USMCA has particularly won kudos from US congress for progress on use of the new Rapid Response Mechanism for Labor Complaints which has been used five times as of August 2022. Despite the good news and evident progress in the broad trade and investment relationships, there remain serious disputes and problems to work through over the months and years ahead. For example, the United States, supported by Canada, on July 20 requested consultations under USMCA over Mexico’s energy policies and related treatment of private sector investors at the expense of state-owned electricity and oil and gas enterprises. This action followed a series of private conversations where these concerns were raised. Without significant progress during the period of consultations, the US could seek creation of a dispute settlement panel and potentially win the right to sanction Mexico if does not change its policies/practices. Progress on such divisive issues and effective use of USMCA’s dispute resolution mechanisms are important to demonstrate the credibility of the agreement before the agreed review of USMCA’s performance in 2025-26.iii It is important to recall that USMCA was negotiated to address emerging challenges facing 21st century international trade and to provide a much-needed update to its predecessor, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). From the increasing relevance of the digital marketplace to progressive shifts in policy toward encouraging development and training of workers, the USMCA includes provisions to help modernize the trilateral trade relationship. As USMCA enters its third year, a number of areas within the agreement are also under scrutiny with questions about enforcement or interpretation by one of the parties, and in others because of a desire to understand the effects the new agreement is having on the economies of all three countries (e.g. in the auto sector). The US, Mexican and Canadian governments have also agreed on goals that go beyond just increasing trade flows and commercial activity to include such factors as more inclusive participation in trade across North America and support for democratic labor rights practices. This signals that the metrics for measuring USMCA’s “success” will include a range of factors beyond simple trade and investment numbers, and some will likely be hard to quantify. To better unlock the potential of the USMCA, this report recommends that the governments of the United States, Mexico, and Canada take specific actions that can help strengthen trilateral commerce and improve upon some of the disputed and/or flawed aspects of the deal. One of the key challenges in implementing USMCA is accounting for the needs of the many sectors involved in North American trade and co-production and the wide array of stakeholders involved. The diversity of stakeholders and audiences impacted by USMCA, and North American commerce demands both concrete solutions to problem areas and effective public outreach by the three national governments beyond what is being done at present. The authors studied the USMCA document that entered into effect in July 2020, spoke with a range of experts and industry leaders, and analyzed a wide selection of studies and policy publications. Building on this research, the team recommends the following priorities, presented largely from a United States perspective: Digital Trade, SME Engagement, and Cybersecurity Cooperation ● Establish a North American Digital Trade Council to help coordinate and direct progress. ● Continue and increase dialogues and stakeholder outreach toward SME e-commerce development. ● Achieve SME empowerment and digital inclusion through capacity and skills development programs. ● Increase efforts to quantify and measure digital trade. ● Hold Mexico and Canada responsible for data localization violations. Labor Democracy and Workforce Development ● Track reform progress using a shared database which will support US and Canadian labor implementation assistance programs aimed at supporting Mexican reforms. ● Review and potentially revise Labor Dispute Settlement mechanisms during the USMCA 6-year review. ● Collaborate further on forced labor. ● Assemble a Forced Labor Task Force under the Labor Committee. ● Move to adopt real-time labor data collection and expanded credentialing programs by all three federal governments. Automotive Rules of Origin ● Expedite a resolution of the current dispute in accordance with USMCA’s Article 31.6 over the interpretation of Core/Super-core Roll-up, or content tabulation. ● Work constructively with suppliers and automakers to provide them with more time to collect and report the content requirements and related information necessary for automakers to fully comply with USMCA provisions. ● Streamline the USMCA compliance and certification procedures based on implementation experiences. ● Create further incentives for consumers to purchase electric vehicles sourced in North America, rather than proceeding unilaterally. Agriculture ● Use all available means so that Mexico adopts a regulatory framework for evaluating GMOs, as stated in USMCA’s Article 3.14.4. ● Launch a multi-agency effort (USTR, U.S. Department of Commerce, USDA, and others as appropriate) to engage in active discussions regarding the long-standing differences over tomato trade with stakeholder groups and Mexican officials to find a resolution to the dispute. ● Continue working to reduce tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber to comply with previous trade rulings, lower U.S. housing prices, and to avoid a dispute settlement complaint by Canada under USMCA. Good Regulatory Practices (GRP) ● The GRP Committee established by USMCA should meet. ● Harness emerging technologies for conducting Regulatory Impact Assessments (RIAs). ● Take initial steps toward regulatory alignment – data collection, transparency, and identifying priority sectors, with the goal of having robust collaboration underway by the first USMCA review starting in 2025. Environment and Energy Policy ● Task the new Environmental Committee with creating a strategic plan on climate change, including implementable goals for the pre-existing Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) regarding climate cooperation. ● Create a dialogue among North American peers regarding increasing funding for the CEC to ensure the agency has the funds to implement climate programs while not interfering with existing programs and day-to-day functions. ● As allowed in Article 1.3.2, begin negotiations regarding the addition of the Paris Climate Agreement to the list of multilateral environmental agreements. ● Increased cooperative capacity should be allocated towards harmonizing regional energy efficiency standards as established in Article 12.D.4. ● Develop an agreed US policy framework for addressing and influencing the Mexican government’s energy policies and practices that violate USMCA. Coordinate closely with Canada. Pursue dispute settlement as needed. ● Utilize the USMCA’s Competitiveness Committee to help establish a dialogue regarding North American energy cooperation and regional energy competitiveness. Public Face: Public Outreach, Transparency, and Public Education ● Acknowledge current limits in public outreach and communications capacity within the USG, including USTR, and create a USG inter- agency working group to devise a more effective public outreach strategy, including to stakeholders as well as the broader public. ● Given similar capacity limitations in the Mexican and Canadian governments, create a standing working committee on public outreach and communications either directly in the USMCA under the Free Trade Commission or perhaps indirectly through coordination mechanisms (e.g., North American Leaders Summit working group). ● In preparation for and during the first sunset review beginning in year five, identify possibilities for more robust and coordinated public communication and outreach efforts regarding USMCA and its benefits for the public. Emergency Coordination: The authors welcome the decision announced by trade ministers at their July meeting to set up a mechanism under the Competitiveness Committee that can help maintaining trade flows in emergency situations. This is essential for all three countries, given the size and importance of trade flows. With recent examples where cross-border trade was disrupted by a range of unexpected developments from the pandemic to political decisions, this new mechanism can help bolster the other efforts among the three countries to modernize and develop cross border infrastructure, improve border crossing processes and deal with emergencies. The authors understand that unlocking the potential successes of USMCA will take “whole of government” efforts by all three governments, including the work of foreign ministries, and a range of other agencies. Successful coordination will be challenging in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, especially when involving all the sub-federal governments that must play a role. Yet, the authors came away from its work confident that pulling together, the full potential of the USMCA can be unlocked. Similarly, good public outreach and regular conversations with USMCA’s many stakeholders across the agreement’s three nations will help improve the benefits that accompany trade. The United States, Mexico, and Canada are all in a good position to bolster economic wellbeing in each country and North America’s strength in the international marketplace. We hope that the recommendations described in this report will help the United States and its two key partners to strengthen USMCA’s positive impact in North America.

By EARL ANTHONY WAYNE, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico The request by the United States, followed by Canada, for consultations regarding Mexican laws, policies and practices related to its energy sector is a major test for the dispute settlement procedures of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Though the U.S. and Canadian complaints are directed toward Mexico’s energy policies and treatment of private investors, the outcomes of the dispute will be crucial for the credibility of

Earl Anthony Wayne, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico and co-chair of the Mexico Institute Advisory Board at the Wilson Center: The U.S. and Canadian requests for consultations over Mexican practices related to energy are a major test for the USMCA’s dispute settlement procedures. The outcomes will send strong signals about how the three countries can manage sensitive problems and about Mexico’s investment environment. When the USMCA turned two years old on July 1, U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade had surpassed pre-pandemic levels and provided most of Mexico’s economic growth. It is positive that the U.S. and Canada are seeking to use the USMCA’s provisions for consultations and, if not successful, for a dispute resolution panel of independent experts to draw conclusions as to whether Mexico is violating the agreement. Cases like this are why the USMCA has stronger dispute resolution processes than NAFTA. Mexico and Canada already have an active complaint against the United States, disagreeing over rules of origin for vehicles. The United States has filed a second complaint against Canada over dairy practices. This energy case touches an estimated $20 billion plus in investments. U.S. officials have raised concerns seeking solutions for many months. How Mexico responds will be key. The Economy Ministry says it looks forward to pursuing consultations, but the Mexican president has responded with nationalist rhetoric, reflecting his priority on a strong state role in energy. Negotiated solutions are possible, but as the process proceeds, the United States, Canada and others will watch carefully to see if Mexico is willing to adjust to meet the commitments to which it agreed in the USMCA. That will send strong signals to potential investors, the U.S. Congress and other key players.

Since coming to power in Afghanistan last year, the Taliban has increasingly reverted to form on almost every level. The killing of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in a Kabul safe house on Sunday, July 31, only underscores the group’s continued close ties with the Taliban, particularly the Haqqani network. Taliban leaders are also steadily reimposing the world’s most extreme restrictions by far on women and girls, returning to their old practices of “disappearing” women by closing off their e

The request by the United States, followed by Canada, for consultations regarding Mexican laws, policies and practices related to its energy sector is a major test for the dispute settlement procedures of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Though the U.S. and Canadian complaints are directed toward Mexico’s energy policies and treatment of private investors, the outcomes of the dispute will be crucial for the credibility of the agreement itself. The USMCA governs the massive tra

Since coming to power last year, the Taliban has increasingly reverted to form on almost every level. The killing of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in a Kabul safe house on July 31 only underscores the group’s continued close ties with the Taliban, particularly the Haqqani network. They are also steadily reimposing the world’s most extreme restrictions by far on women and girls, returning to their old practices of “disappearing” women by closing off their education, restricting their travel,

By EARL ANTHONY WAYNE, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico When U.S. President Joe Biden and Mexico’s president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) sit down together in Washington on Tuesday, July 12, they will face a tough set of challenges that defy easy solutions. Yet, the leaders can send clear signals of good intentions for their respective administration to work more closely together and produce better results on the most pressing issues in the months ahead. Top of the list is the need to

When Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced that he would not attend the Summit of the Americas hosted by the U.S. in June because Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua were not invited, AMLO (as he is known) quickly added that he would soon visit President Biden in Washington — and indeed, the two will meet on Tuesday. Their meeting underscores how vital good relations are for both countries, despite sometimes significant policy differences. Too much is at stake to not find ways to c

I was very happy to join this panel discussion of the state of USMCA and the agenda for moving forward. This panel was part of the meeting of the North American Forum held at the Institute of the Americas at UC San Diego on November 14. I joined virtually.

I moderated a conversation among experts on Afghanistan of the Informal Group on Afghanistan that Rohullah Osmani and I have organized and led since 2106.

Nov 01 Book Talk: Eye on the World: A Life in International Service Book Talk: Two ambassadors discuss Amb. Anthony Quainton's Eye on the World: A Life in International Service with the author. Bythe School of International Service Follow When and where Date and time Tue, November 1, 2022, 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM EDT Location School of International Service American University 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington, DC, DC 20016 About this event Book Talk: Eye on the World: A Life in International Service A Conversation with Ambassador Anthony Quainton, Ambassador Tony Wayne, and Ambassador Piper Campbell Using four-time Ambassador Anthony Quainton's recently released book as a launch point, the three ambassadors will discuss what it's like to serve as "the personal representative of the President", what aspects of the job have changed overtime, what remains constant. They will also touch on relations between Washington and the field, and the interagency aspects of the job. This is a great opportunity for students interested in careers in international service to hear directly from three of SIS's own. This event is part of SIS's "Ambassadors Close Up" series. The event will be in person in the Abramson Family Founders Room in the SIS building. There will be light refreshments before the talk begins at 4:00 PM.

These are my English and Spanish remarks for the Wilson Center Mexico Institute Awards Dinner.

As Co-Chair of Advisory Board for the Mexico Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, I was very happy to help lead this year's Woodrow Wilson Awards ceremony recognizing the contributions of two distinguished Mexicans, Jose Angel Gurria Treviño and Laura Diez Barroso Azcárraga, to US-Mexican relations. I was honored to present the Award for Public Service to Angel Gurria, with whom I had worked when I was Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs and when he became the Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The accompanying picture includes from right to left my Co-Hair, Luis Tellez, the Mexico Institute Director, Andrew Rudman, me, Angel Gurria, Laura Diez Barroso (recognized for her business social responsibility achievements), Wilson Center CEO Ambassador Mark Green, and one of the Mexico Institute's strong supporters, Felipe Garcia Moreno, CEO of J.P. Morgan Mexico.

The Mexican Association for International Education, A. C. (AMPEI) and the Consortium for North American Higher Education Collaboration (CONAHEC) invited me and former U/S for North America Sergio Alcocer to speak to their annual conference about the importance of workforce development as part of North American collaboration between universities, governments and businesses. We also spoke about the need to expand support of higher education collaboration across North America. Finally, we had the opportunity to congratulate and thank Araceli Partearroyo for her forty years of work in support of US-Mexico education exchanges

COALITIONS of Pro-Diplomacy National Security Leaders and Advocacy Groups LEAD LETTERS IN SUPPORT OF STATE DEPARTMENT AUTHORIZATION Washington, DC – Foreign Policy for America, in partnership with a broad coalition of foreign policy, development, environmental, and faith-based organizations, has sent two letters to Congressional leaders calling on them to support legislation that would make needed updates to the State Department’s practices, policies, and protocols. More than one hundred national security leaders – including former ambassadors, Assistant Secretaries of State, and senior military leaders – and a dozen advocacy organizations have signed onto these letters in support of the State Department Authorization Act of 2022. I was happy to join in signing this letter and in gathering support for it.

Had an enjoyable session discussing US-Mexico relations with my colleague Tony Garza and moderated by Texas Tribune Editor, Sewell Chan, on Saturday afternoon September 24 in Austin at the Texas Tribune Festival.

I was invited to make a statement and offer commentary on the "Indispensable Elements for Strengthening Commerce" in North America as part of a conference entitled: "Two Years of USMCA: Challenges and Opportunities in Forging an Integrated North America." The two-days of hearings, presentations and discussions was sponsored by The Special Commission of the Senate of Mexico for the Monitoring of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA or T-MEC in Spanish) on September 21-22, 2022. Here are the initial paragraphs from my opening statement on the Indispensable Elements for Strengthening Commerce in North America: El T-MEC (Tratado entre Mexico, Estados Unidos y Canada; T-Mex), known as USMCA in the United States, created an updated legal framework within which the private sectors in Mexico, the United States and Canada as well as the three national governments, can address and manage a wider range of trade issues than were covered by NAFTA to continue generating prosperity and seek solutions to differences more expeditiously. The agreement needs to be implemented well and creatively to keep up with a rapidly changing economic and commercial environment, including global competition from China and others, rapid technological change, and the threat of further disruption to trade, as experienced because of the pandemic and more recently Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Overall, implementation of USMCA is progressing well after two plus years in operation, as is trade across North America. Trade across North America has surpassed 2019 levels reaching over $2.6 million dollars a minute. Senior level dialogues have been regular and productive. Work has begun on many USMCA committees and topics. This includes work on challenging areas such as supporting labor democracy and countering forced labor as well as efforts to better involve Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), to discuss workforce development, and to pursue outreach to disadvantaged populations. Similarly, the initial agenda and work under the US-Mexico High Level Economic Dialogue (HLED or DEAN in Spanish) is promising, as is the work plan under North American Leaders Summit (NALS) set in November 2021. These efforts are complimentary to USMCA and needed to take fuller advantage of opportunities in the current situation. They and USMCA still need to deliver clear, concrete results, however. Serious challenges remain, including productive use of USMCA’s consultation and dispute settlement processes to solve important differences, as is evident in the recent complaints posed by the United States and Canada related to Mexican practices affecting companies working in the energy sector. Ongoing good implementation and problem solving will continue to be vital for the credibility of the USMCA agreement and to attract significant new investments into the massive cross-border trade network built in North America since the early 1990s. It is equally important to see the USMCA agreement as opening the door for complementary steps outside current formal trade mechanisms that can make all three member countries more competitive by enhancing economic alignment and connectivity. This complimentary work outside of the context of USMCA includes taking advantage of post-pandemic developments which favor nearshoring or “partner-shoring” to build shorter, more dependable supply chains and to undertake reinvestment at home to strengthen domestic production networks. Significant new policy initiatives and investment by the United States in infrastructure and key technology and “green tech” sectors have opened doors for Mexico, and Canada, as trusted and physically close partners.

A year ago, experts predicted the “Roaring ‘20s,” a decade in which a tamed pandemic would unleash a new era of global growth. As the year comes to a close, our GeoEconomics Center’s staff and senior fellows called out the numbers behind the headlines that best capture the shape of the global economy in 2021—and what to expect in 2022. The United States, Canada, and Mexico traded more than $2.4 million per minute on average during the first ten months of 2021. The United States’ two neighbors are its top two trading partners this year, followed by China. This trade supports up to 12 million jobs in the United States and millions more in Mexico and Canada. The three countries not only sell to each other, but they also co-produce many products, with high percentages of US content coming back to the United States in finished manufactured products bought from its two neighbors. These facts signal that the economic partnership in North America is very important for economic competition with China, in addition to its direct impact on prosperity in the UnitedStates, Mexico, and Canada. It is, thus, very welcome that the three countries are rolling up their sleeves to improve supply-chain resilience, cross-border infrastructure and processes, workforce development, cybersecurity coordination, and more ...

The United Nations, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the donor community have all been warning of the humanitarian catastrophe emerging with the imminent collapse of the Afghan economy. The withdrawal of U.S. and allied forces from the country, which led to the disintegration of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban takeover, has been followed by the cutoff of most external assistance and the freezing of most of Afghanistan’s monetary reserves, thereby elim

The United Nations, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the donor community have all been warning of the humanitarian catastrophe emerging with the imminent collapse of the Afghan economy. The withdrawal of US and allied forces from the country, which led to the disintegration of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban takeover, has been followed by the cutoff of most external assistance and the freezing of most of Afghanistan’s monetary reserves, thereby eliminating

Annual Report of the Mexico Institute's Activities including many publications I wrote and meetings that I chaired.

The summit constituted the first of its kind since 2016. Thei leaders of the United States, Canada and Mexico set an agenda that could power all three countries to rebound more effectively from the pandemic’s effects and unlock the important potential of better cooperation across the continent. Biden, Trudeau and López Obrador were positioned to greatly increase collaboration: 1) to support rebuilding from pandemic’s blows to the continent’s deeply integrated value chains and industries; 2) to

The leaders of the United States, Canada and Mexico will meet on Nov. 18 for the first North American Leaders Summit (NALS) since 2016. Their agenda can power all three countries to rebound more effectively from the pandemic’s effects and unlock the important potential of better cooperation across the continent.

La próxima reunión de líderes es una oportunidad importante para conectar, comunicar, establecer objetivos y planificar Los líderes de Estados Unidos, Canadá y México se reunirán el 18 de noviembre para una “Cumbre de Líderes de Norteamérica”, o NALS, por sus siglas en inglés. La agenda será grande e importante para esta primera reunión a tres bandas de los socios de Norteamérica desde 2016.

David Jacobson was the U.S. ambassador to Canada from 2009 to 2013 and is vice-chair, BMO Financial Group. Earl Anthony Wayne was the U.S. ambassador to Mexico from 2011 to 2015 and is co-chair of the Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute Advisory Board and a Distinguished Diplomat in Residence at American University’s School of International Service. The leaders of the United States, Canada and Mexico will meet Nov. 18 for a North American Leaders’ Summit, or NALS. The agenda will be big and important.

By EARL ANTHONY WAYNE, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico The most important bilateral relationship in Latin America for the United States is that with Mexico. Mexico is one of America’s top two trade partners and largest export markets. Economic ties support millions of jobs on both sides of the border. Mexico is an indispensable partner in improving management of migration across the southern border. Cooperation with Mexico is essential to getting a better handle on the deadly flows of drugs i

The most important bilateral relationship in Latin America for the United States is that with Mexico. Mexico is one of America’s top two trade partners and largest export markets. Economic ties support millions of jobs on both sides of the border. Mexico is an indispensable partner in improving management of migration across the southern border. Cooperation with Mexico is essential to getting a better handle on the deadly flows of drugs into the U.S. from Mexico, as well as getting better contro

By EARL ANTHONY WAYNE, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico In a bid to revive economic relations and make Mexico and the United States more competitive with China, leaders of the two countries have launched a renewed cabinet-level High Level Economic Dialogue (HLED), dormant since 2017. To underscore that initiative, Vice President Kamala Harris headed a U.S. delegation consisting of the secretaries of state, commerce, Homeland Security, and the U.S. Trade Representative in a meeting at the White

I was happy to contribute an article to this collection. Introduction: In a bid to revive economic relations and make Mexico and the United States more competitive with China, leaders of the two countries have launched a renewed Cabinet-level High Level Economic Dialogue (HLED), dormant since 2017. To underscore that initiative, Vice President Kamala Harris headed a US delegation consisting of the Secretaries of State, Commerce, Homeland Security, and the US Trade Representative in a meeting at the White House with Mexico’s foreign and commerce ministers and others on September 9. If done well and accompanied by Mexican moves to improve the investment climate, the HLED process can encourage more nearshoring of manufacturing and other businesses to Mexico, contributing to more resilient supply chains. Binational working groups are working to identify objectives and actions with plans to report on progress by early November. The HLED is aimed at pursuing economic opportunities beyond the trade issues covered in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which took effect in 2020. The USMCA calls for new consultative mechanisms on such issues as trade rules for auto production, respect for labor rights, and barriers to trade in agricultural products. As a complement to the new dialogue, the HLED can also help strengthen value chains and effective nearshoring in key sectors, generating “good” jobs on both sides of the border

By EARL ANTHONY WAYNE, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico The United States and Mexico took important steps toward better cooperation against cross-border crime and criminal networks on Oct. 8. Meeting in Mexico City, cabinet members from both countries approved a new framework to replace the Merida Initiative, which had served as the umbrella for bilateral public security cooperation since 2008. Now, teams from both countries aim to hammer out an agreed action agenda by year’s end and then forge

The United States and Mexico took an important step toward restoring better cooperation against cross-border crime today with cabinet-level U.S.-Mexico high-level security dialogue and agreement to flesh out a new framework for cooperation in the months ahead.

Earl Anthony Wayne, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico and co-chair of the Mexico Institute Advisory Board at the Wilson Center: “Mexican and U.S. ministers launched the renewed High-Level Economic Dialogue (HLED) with an agenda aimed at boosting supply chains, border management, jobs skills, stakeholder dialogue and helping reduce migration flows. Done well, this process can energize bilateral economic relations with more inclusive processes and concrete improvements. Progress reports from working groups are due in early November. This new HLED recognizes the value of sustained cooperation as demonstrated from 2013-2016 and of learning from the pandemic, which exposed weaknesses in cross-border supply chains. It also reflects agreement to address the root causes of migration. There are four pillars for HLED work. The first pillar, ‘building back together,’ includes steps to support the creation of more resilient supply chains and modernizing the U.S.-Mexico border. Semiconductor supply chains will get a first review, with electric vehicle, medical device and pharmaceutical supply chains as additional candidates. Importantly, work includes renewed attention to improving border crossing processes and infrastructure, as well as better dialogue with private and subfederal government stakeholders. The HLED’s second pillar, ‘promoting sustainable economic and social development in Southern Mexico and Central America,’ will entail the hard work of trying to identify the mix of programs to produce good results. The third pillar, ‘securing tools for future prosperity,’ can foster needed cooperation on cybersecurity and resilient information technology networks. The fourth pillar, ‘investing in our people,’ gives needed attention to workforce development, such as applying best practices for upskilling workers and can usefully target specific groups in need and small and medium enterprises (SMEs).”

By EARL ANTHONY WAYNE, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico A modified version of this article previously appeared in he U.S. congressional publication The Hill, and is being republished in Pulse News Mexico with express prior permission. Heed closely what Mexico and the United States agreed on earlier this month. On Thursday, Sept. 9, ministers from both governments held the first meeting of a new High-Level Economic Dialogue (HLED) aimed at pursuing economic opportunities beyond the trade issues

Watch closely what Mexico and the United States agree on this week. On Thursday, Sept. 9, ministers from both governments will hold the first meeting of a new High-Level Economic Dialogue (HLED) aimed at pursuing economic opportunities beyond the trade issues covered in the new North America trade agreement — the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA — that took effect in mid-2020. In the USMCA framework, the governments already are overseeing bilateral trade and working through trade

The Taliban took Kabul, Afghanistan, far faster than US intelligence officials had anticipated; evacuations out of the country are enveloped in chaos; and on August 26, deadly attacks took place at the Kabul airport. How did we get to this point? Ambassador Earl Anthony Wayne, SIS professor and distinguished diplomat in residence, served as coordinating director for development and economic affairs and deputy ambassador in Kabul from 2009 to 2011. In this Q&A, he describes how the Taliban was ab

By EARL ANTHONY WAYNE, former U.S. deputy ambassador to Afghanistan Ending a war well requires an accurate assessment of the facts, careful weighing of the potential costs, and plans for achieving the desired outcomes and dealing with unexpected repercussions: There will be plenty of re-examination of the U.S. decision in April to give a September date certain for pulling out of Afghanistan, but events over the last few months make clear that the final U.S. decisions were based on a poor under

There will be plenty of re-examination of the U.S. decision in April to give a September date certain for pulling out of Afghanistan, but events over the last few months make clear that the final U.S. decisions were based on a poor understanding of the damage already done to Afghan government morale, authority, and capacity by the U.S. negotiations with the Taliban, during the last two years of the Trump administration. The Taliban had used the last two years while negotiating with the United St

Op-ed that I co-drafted cited in this article: Sacks of flour from a World Food Program convoy were unloaded in Afghanistan in October. The Treasury Department will make it easier for international organizations and the U.S. government to provide relief to Afghans while maintaining economic pressure on the Taliban. The Treasury Department and the United Nations offered new protection for aid from sanctions meant to pressure the Taliban.

“We don’t want to help the Taliban, but we don’t want to see Afghans starving in the winter either,” said Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.), who helped to spearhead the effort. “We want the millions of Afghans who are not going to leave the country, but who are trying to defend the gains of the last 20 years, to know that the United States is still behind them.” But a growing number of administration officials, particularly in the U.S. State Department, are pushing for more flexibility, with some ar

House lawmakers are calling on the Biden administration to prioritize assistance to Afghanistan in the face of a crippling economic and humanitarian crisis facing the country. “No one benefits from a failed state in Afghanistan,” a bipartisan group of 39 lawmakers wrote on Thursday, in a letter to the State and Treasury departments, calling for the release of Afghan assets — which amount to an estimated $9.5 billion — that were frozen in the wake of the Taliban’s takeover of the country in Augu

Earl Anthony (Tony) Wayne says there should be action by the US and others to get money to #Afghans in need to meet the #humanitarian needs and recognizing that that means there needs to be channels where money can be sent in and in and distributed accurately. We need more leadership by US and others to encourage to go ahead and try these new methods. All the time preserving the sanctions on the Taliban that deserve to remain in place because of their previous behavior and their unwillingness to have a truly inclusive government.”

Private conversations and public event on workforce development

Annual Report of the Mexico Institute's Activities including many publications I wrote and meetings that I chaired.

Happy to strongly endorse and join in this statement as a member of the AAD Board

Invited to talk about US-Mexico Relations to the Traverse City International Affairs Committee

Biden’s electric vehicle plans spark outrage in Mexico and Canada US trading partners insist that EV incentives breach terms of USMCA pact Aime Williams and Christine Murray Joe Biden will meet the leaders of Mexico and Canada this week as his plans to encourage Americans to buy electric cars made in the US have sparked furious opposition from two of America’s biggest trading partners. The so-called three amigos summit, to be held at the White House, will take place for the first time since 2016, and comes as senior officials in Mexico City and Ottawa have complained that Biden’s plans to kickstart EV manufacturing in the US break international trade rules. The opposition of some of the US’s closest allies to a flagship climate policy poses a political and diplomatic dilemma for Biden. The president has pledged to both lower tensions with trading partners following the tumultuous tenure of Donald Trump, and to use industrial policy to boost green industries like electric car manufacturing. Although not yet passed into law, Biden’s broader $1.75tn legislative package contains proposals to offer a tax credit of $7,500 for electric vehicles made only in the US from 2026. Another $4,500 of tax credits are available for purchasing electric cars made with union labour. On Friday, Mélanie Joly, Canada’s foreign minister, said she had raised the issue in a meeting with Antony Blinken, US secretary of state. Mary Ng, Canada’s trade minister, has previously written to the Democratic and Republican leaders and to Katherine Tai, US trade representative, and Gina Raimondo, US commerce secretary, to convey Ottawa’s “very serious concerns” about the EV credits. Ng’s office said that Washington’s proposed measures were “inconsistent” both with its obligations under USMCA, the updated North American trade deal struck between the three countries under Donald Trump, and with the rules of the World Trade Organization. Tatiana Clouthier, Mexico’s economy minister, has sent her own letters to US legislators to ask that the proposals be altered to be brought in line with USMCA. “It’s contradictory,” Clouthier said. “They would set off more [migration] with this kind of measure.” Tai refused to be drawn this week on whether the US proposals contravened the USMCA trade agreement that she helped broker as the Democrats’ chief trade counsel in the House of Representatives. “I’m aware of concerns that our trading partners have raised, and we care about these concerns,” she said. Edward Alden, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said the growing dispute between the three nations was “a big deal”. “Everybody is moving at warp speed towards electric vehicles, and auto companies are now deciding where to locate their electric vehicle factories,” Alden said. “This tax credit gives pretty strong incentives to locate final assembly in the United States so, not surprisingly, the Canadians and Mexicans are deeply worried about it.” At present, the North American motor industry supply chain is scattered across all three countries. According to a recent report by the Congressional Research Service, some car parts cross the US, Mexican and Canadian borders “seven or eight times” before they are assembled into the final vehicle. The US imports $29.4bn of car parts from Mexico and exports $5.9bn of parts to Canada, while exporting $11.7bn of completed vehicles to Canada and $67.5bn to Mexico. The CRS says that vehicle parts exported to Canada and Mexico often return to the US to be incorporated into the finished vehicles. “It’s important to remember that the auto industry is the most quintessential North American, USMCA or Nafta industry,” said Tony Wayne, a former US ambassador to Mexico, referring to USMCA’s predecessor trade deal. “It’s more integrated than any other industry.” Canada has suggested that US threats to rupture the motor industry’s integration at this time might backfire on the US. Ng’s letter reminded US officials that Canada was “the only country” in the western hemisphere to have stores of all of the critical minerals needed to build an electric vehicle battery, and that Canada was therefore “necessary for the United States to achieve its electric vehicle objectives in the future”. Mexico’s lower labour costs have long attracted carmakers, but sector leaders are already worried that it may not be able to attract a renewed investment boom in the shift to EVs. ...

Talk on US-Mexico Relations

As part of a series of meetings that began in 2016. Rohullah Osmani and I have hosted groups of experts to discuss Afghanistan every 6 weeks or so. This private meeting was co-hosted by the Wilson Center.

I had the honor to deliver a talk to a masters program on national security via internet discussing US-Mexico relations.

Event Recap: A Vision For A Stronger U.S.-Mexico Partnership: Emerging Opportunities In The Automotive Industry Virtual Roundtable On Nov. 5, 2021, the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan and the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, in collaboration with the U.S.-Mexico Foundation (USMF), hosted a virtual roundtable to discuss further integration within the auto industry in the U.S. and Mexico. The event brought together accomplished diplomats, industry leaders and analysts to share their perspectives on trends and opportunities for players in both countries. For decades, the U.S.-Mexico automotive supply chain has been deeply unified, collectively manufacturing around 20 percent of the world’s passenger cars and commercial vehicles. At the same time, the automotive sector is undergoing a profound transformation, fueled by technological innovations, sustainability efforts and supply chain concerns. During the virtual roundtable, two interrelated, consecutive panel discussions focused on these shifts and how both sides of the border can leverage them in the context of an enhanced U.S.–Mexico partnership. Panel 1, “U.S.-Mexico Automotive Supply Chain Resilience: Trends and Opportunities,” put a spotlight on emerging opportunities for co-production and manufacturing of products, services and technologies, which have the potential to catalyze further economic growth in the U.S. and Mexico. It was moderated by Francine LaFontaine, Interim Dean of the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, and the panel consisted of: Gerónimo Gutiérrez, former Mexican Ambassador to the U.S. Earl Anthony Wayne, former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Sarah Cartmell, Manager of Global Government Relations, Ford Motor Company Oscar Dominguez, President of Lear Mexico Operations

Key Policy Recommendations • Establish cooperative work agendas addressing key economic and security issues. • Re-organize structures to take full advantage of the opportunities from North American cooperation, as well as to resolve problems. • Reinitiate the North American Leaders' Summits, preferably once a year, but at least every two years. • Make supply chains more resilient and less dependent on distant suppliers. • Re-create and improve bilateral mechanisms to deal with homeland security and economic issues outside of USMCA. • Establish a multi-layered approach to North America that effectively incorporates the many stakeholders in North America's success. • In the short-term, agendas should include COVID-19 management and recovery; strengthening supply chains; implementing USMCA; revisiting border security; bolstering law enforcement coordination; and rethinking migration management and aid to Central America. • The medium- and longer-term agendas should include creating a shared vision and structures that enhance mutual prosperity and security, and a focus on issues such as climate change, “green” energy futures, workforce development, the deployment of new technologies, and more cooperative approaches to cybersecurity.

By EARL ANTHONY WAYNE, former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Mexico and the United States cannot escape the need to collaborate. The big test is how well the governments can work together with the arrival of President Joe Biden. The action agenda is urgent: handling migration from Central America, deepening anti-crime coordination, managing the pandemic and recovery, and implementing the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), including Mexico’s treatment of energy investments and protection

By EARL ANTHONY WAYNE and SHAUN DONNELLY, both former U.S. ambassadors The new Joe Biden administration has a great opportunity to rebuild the United States’ international competitiveness and policy effectiveness in ways to assure that the domestic and international policy agendas reinforce each other. This approach can build prosperity at home and simultaneously establish markets, opportunities and partnerships internationally. The appointments of Jake Sullivan as national security adviser an

Earl Anthony Wayne, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico and co-chair of the Mexico Institute Advisory Board at the Wilson Center: “Mexico and the United States cannot escape the need to collaborate. The big test is how well the governments can work together with the arrival of President Joe Biden. The action agenda is urgent: handling migration from Central America, deepening anti-crime coordination, managing the pandemic and recovery, and implementing the USMCA trade agreement including Mexico’s treatment of energy investments and protection of labor rights. The opportunities are also great: building on the USMCA to boost both economies, enhancing homeland security and reinforcing trust undermined in recent years. President Biden arrives with the deepest understanding of Mexico of any U.S. president. His strong predilection is to reinforce cooperation. Until recently, however, President López Obrador (AMLO) was not welcoming. He also placed a serious legal wrench in Mexico-U.S. anti-crime cooperation. One can debate why AMLO adopted this stance, but the challenge is whether the leaders and their teams can rebuild enough trust to find and implement solutions. The stakes are immense. Legal trade is about $1 million per minute. That represents about 80 percent of Mexico’s imports. That trade supports almost five million U.S. jobs. Illicit drug trade fuels tens of thousands of deaths in each country via drug overdoses and criminal violence. A new surge of Central American migrants would spark a crisis for the Biden administration. U.S. companies and unions are worried about Mexico’s implementation of the USMCA. Much work remains to deal with the pandemic’s effects. The neighbors should quickly establish the dialogue and processes to manage these challenges well.”

North America must be a high priority for the Biden administration. President Biden understands the issues, having devoted considerable time to the region as vice president. Sadly, however, given the Trump administration’s approach, mutual trust has suffered badly with both of America’s neighbors.

By EARL ANTHONY WAYNE, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico U.S. President-elect Joe Biden’s emerging national security team has impressive credentials, reflecting his own deep experience. This will be a big advantage, given the need to “build back better” with the world as well as at home. The tasks include rebuilding institutions battered over the past four years, including the State Department, the intelligence community, and law enforcement and justice agencies. The daunting international agen

The incoming Biden administration has a great opportunity to rebuild America’s international competitiveness and policy effectiveness in ways to assure that the domestic and international policy agendas reinforce each other. This approach can build prosperity at home and simultaneously establish markets, opportunities and partnerships internationally. The appointments of Jake Sullivan Jake SullivanBiden formally appoints NSA's Anne Neuberger to key national security position How should Biden re

Among the most pressing issues on U.S. President-elect Joe Biden’s to-do list on foreign policy is the war in Afghanistan, which offers only hard choices. But despite the blunders of U.S. President Donald Trump, Afghanistan may actually now have a chance to achieve some form of political settlement and significantly reduced violence. To pursue a path toward sustainable peace in Afghanistan, Biden’s team must walk a fine line. On the one hand, they must make it clear that peace does not mean sim

Among the most pressing issues on the US president-elect’s to-do list on foreign policy is the war in Afghanistan, which offers only hard choices. But despite the blunders of President Donald Trump, Afghanistan may actually now have a chance to achieve some form of political settlement and significantly reduced violence. To pursue a path toward sustainable peace in Afghanistan, Joe Biden’s team must walk a fine line. On the one hand, they must make it clear that peace does not mean simply handi

By EARL ANTHONY WAYNE, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico Mexico’s Congress passed legislation on Dec.15 that restricts the work of foreign government employees in a way that could greatly inhibit U.S.-Mexico cooperation against powerful cross-border criminal organizations, which are moving drugs northward to the United States and arms and illicit proceeds to Mexico. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) signed the law and it took effect on Dec. 19. Before this grows into a very d

President-elect Biden’s emerging national security team has impressive credentials, reflecting his own deep experience. This will be a big advantage, given the need to “build back better” with the world as well as at home. The tasks include rebuilding institutions battered over the past four years, including the State Department, the intelligence community, and law enforcement and justice agencies. The daunting international agenda makes it imperative that the president and his advisers draw on

By EARL ANTHONY WAYNE, career diplomat, ambassador and senior advisor with the Project on Prosperity and Development at theCenter for Strategic and International Studies The following report was first published by the U.S. Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and is being republished in an abbreviated format in Pulse News Mexico with explicit prior permission. This report identifies best practices among reconciliation programs used in conflicts around the world that may help p

Mexico’s Congress passed legislation on Dec.15 that restricts the work of foreign government employees in a way that could greatly inhibit U.S.-Mexico cooperation against powerful cross-border criminal organizations, which are moving drugs northward to the U.S. and arms and illicit proceeds to Mexico. President López Obrador signed the law and it took effect on Dec. 19. Before this grows into a very damaging bilateral problem, the two governments urgently need to engage to address the serious a

Imagine Peace: Connecting Global Solutions on Reconciliation with an Afghanistan Ready for Peace • This report identifies best practices among reconciliation programs used in conflicts around the world that may help promote reconciliation in Afghanistan, should progress toward peace advance. A team of American University undergraduate researchers at the School of International Service worked under the guidance of former ambassador Earl Anthony Wayne to examine scores of programs in over 30 count

By EARL ANTHONY WAYNE, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico Mexico’s law enforcement and justice system is now in the spotlight over U.S.-Mexico cross-border crime. Mexico’ public security and justice systems currently face a series of “stress tests”: handling charges against two former Mexican secretaries for aiding criminal groups trafficking drugs to the United States; the still-ongoing investigation of the November 2018 murders of U.S. citizen women and children in Sonora by members of criminal ...

“The U.S. arrest and release to Mexico of retired Mexican Defense Secretary Salvador Cienfuegos on charges of supporting a drug-smuggling group has set up a high-profile test for Mexico’s justice system. Many questions swirl around the general’s arrest, release and future treatment in Mexico, especially the chances for a credible Mexican prosecution. Mexico’s handling of General Cienfuegos’ case will have a significant impact on U.S.-Mexican cooperation against deadly cross-border organized crime. Most important to watch for the long term will be how the management of the case strengthens or weakens bilateral collaboration against drug-trafficking groups that cause tens of thousands of deaths in the United States and Mexico. We must keep the real costs of trafficking in focus. Mexico’s foreign minister and president have spoken positively about Mexico’s ability to carry out a serious investigation of Cienfuegos. Other experts are skeptical, given the poor record of Mexico’s justice system on cases involving high-profile individuals. In this case, electronic evidence collected by U.S. authorities without a Mexican judge’s approval may not be admissible in Mexican courts. If the case falters, a bright spotlight will shine on still-existing flaws in Mexico’s judicial system. A poorly handled case will further erode confidence among U.S. law enforcement officials in their Mexican partners and will erode confidence among honest Mexican officials in their system. To bolster trust, the two governments must build new mechanisms to help prevent corruption of officials from either country, as part of work to strengthen and expand effective cooperation against cross-border trafficking.” by me and other experts on the arrest and release to Mexico of retired General Salvador Cienfuegos related to charges of supporting a drug trafficking group.

La captura y liberación del exsecretario de la Defensa Nacional, Salvador Cienfuegos es una gran prueba para el sistema de justicia mexicano. Pero también subraya los desafíos a una relación bilateral más profunda y efectiva para la cooperación contra el narcotráfico. El caso Cienfuegos está drenando la confianza en ambos lados de la frontera. Como secretario de la Defensa, entre 2012 y 2014, Cienfuegos supervisó la cooperación militar cercana entre México y Estados Unidos. Sin embargo, las aut

A Joe Biden administration can be expected to put U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada relations back into a strategic framework for solving problems and strengthening long-term cooperation. This would include pursuing a more consistent approach to Mexico and Canada, less driven by individual issues and tradeoffs and more concerned with achieving progress across a range of key issues, stretching from trade to public security to economic competitiveness to the environment.

The Diplomacy Lab SIS Capstone centers on a research project deemed important for the US State Department. It is a unique opportunity for SIS students to work with State Department officials, career diplomats, ambassadors, and people who are currently working in the Foreign Service. Launched in 2013, the Diplomacy Lab aims to address two key priorities: first, to engage the American people in the work of diplomacy, and second, to broaden the State Department’s research base.

A discussion with former Mexican Ambassador to the US on the Challenges and Opportunities that flow from the arrival of President Joe Biden. The event was organized by the American Society of Mexico

Explosive U.S. drug-trafficking allegations against Mexico’s former defense minister rely largely on circumstantial evidence, diminishing the chances that the Mexican government could bring a case against him to trial or could convict him in a Mexican court if it did, according to people in both countries familiar with the case. American agents arrested Gen. Salvador Cienfuegos in October as he arrived in Los Angeles for a family vacation, accusing him of taking bribes in exchange for protectin

Biden (then VP) and López Obrador (then a presidential candidate) in Mexico City in 2012. Photo: Uri Cortez/AFP via Getty Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is off to an awkward start with President-elect Biden. Along with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro, he's one of the very few world leaders still declining to recognize Biden’s victory. Why it matters: López Obrador’s stance may soon be forgotten, but it could foreshadow tensions in a relationship that will be

Biden will need Mexico to continue to help prevent such a surge in the short term, said Earl Anthony Wayne, who served as U.S. ambassador to Mexico under President Barack Obama. Wayne said the United States also will need to partner with other countries on medium- and long-term solutions to improve conditions in Central America and the treatment of migrants in Mexico and the United States. “Biden will not have an easy set of choices, but I think he will try to thread the needle between a more humanitarian approach and a need to avoid getting overwhelmed,” said Wayne, who teaches at American University. “What he can do is try to forge a more effective partnership with Mexico to see the common value of dealing with this in an orderly way, and not letting it get out of hand.”

This is the link to the full document which is reported in the Politico article.

Several former Trump administration national security and diplomatic officials also signed on, including former U.S. ambassador to Iraq Doug Silliman; former NSC senior director for counterterrorism Javed Ali; former DHS assistant secretary of counterterrorism Elizabeth Neumann; former DHS deputy assistant secretary for counterterrorism policy Tom Warrick; and former U.S. ambassador to the U.K. Lewis Lukens. I was happy to join in this effort.

The Mexico Institute seeks to improve understanding, communication, and cooperation between Mexico and the United States by promoting original research, encouraging public discussion, and proposing policy options for enhancing the bilateral relationship. A binational Advisory Board, chaired by Luis Téllez and Earl Anthony Wayne, oversees the work of the Mexico Institute. Read more

En las últimas semanas el tema que ha mantenido los reflectores del mundo entero es, sin duda, la elección presidencial en Estados Unidos. Y uno de los países más interesados –sino es que el principal– en el resultado de esos comicios . Y no es para menos. México no solo es el vecino del sur de Estados Unidos. Su vínculo también incluye una fuerte relación en temas humanitarios, como la migración; económicos, como el nuevo tratado comercial (T-MEC); de seguridad, como la cooperación en temas de

Quoted in the following article: Un análisis de las políticas migratorias de Estados Unidos, y qué significaría una reelección de Trump o el triunfo de Biden para las relaciones con México. Cuando comenzó su apuesta por la presidencia en 2015, la narrativa antinmigrante, como sus críticos la denuncian, se convirtió en el centro de la campaña de Donald Trump. Él prometió frente a audiencias entusiasmadas construir un muro en la frontera y sostuvo que México “no envía a su mejor” gente al territorio estadounidense ...

Exembajadores de México y Estados Unidos presentaron una serie de recomendaciones para fortalecer y potencializar la relación bilateral entre ambos países, en materia de seguridad, migración y agua. Ello en el marco de una reunión virtual con la Comisión de Relaciones Exteriores América del Norte. John Dimitri Negroponte, ex embajador de Washington en México, reconoció que la agenda de seguridad, siempre ha sido un tema delicado para los dos países, sobre todo, en lo referente al tráfico de dro

We are former public servants who have devoted our careers, and in many cases risked our lives, for the United States. We are generals, admirals, senior noncommissioned officers, ambassadors, and senior civilian national security leaders. We are Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. We love our country. Unfortunately, we also fear for it. The COVID-19 pandemic has proven America needs principled, wise, and responsible leadership. America needs a President who understands, as President Harry

How do trade agreements affect regular people? Tony Wayne, former Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs and US Ambassador to Mexico, breaks down both the recent US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and the preceding North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and explains why everything that happens between the US and Mexico is "intermestic," or both international and domestic.

A big push is under way to achieve approval in the U.S. House of Representatives for the newly amended United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the new NAFTA, before the end of the year. The deadline goal appears to be congressional action by Dec. 20, at the latest. Supporters of USMCA are working hard to complete the procedures needed for action by in the U.S. House of Representatives and to secure as many votes as possible there for the agreement, so the USMCA heads to the U.S. Senate w

A new report examining the need for the United States, Mexico and Canada to collaborate on workforce development in order to better meet the massive challenges of new technologies transforming work and workplaces over the next few years. governments, the private sector, educational institutions need to find and implement new models of skills training and preparing for the changes brought by new technology or face serious social, political and economic disruptions.

A big push is under way to achieve U.S. approval for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the new NAFTA, but important gaps remain between the parties. The most recent deadline goal appears to be congressional action by Dec. 20, at the latest. Missing that deadline could delay approval until 2021 and leave the continent’s economies under a cloud of uncertainty. Approving the USMCA could bring a needed economic boost to the millions of jobs supported by commerce with America’s two largest t

An effective peace process is possible and desirable in Afghanistan. Success, however, will require a careful, step-by-step course to test bona fides, build confidence, reduce violence and encourage the difficult negotiations in which Afghans themselves determine the political future of Afghanistan. U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad has been working to re-engage the peace process in visits to the region, in meetings with international players, and in fostering last month’s detainee s

The apprenticeship movement is reshaping skills, policies, and programs in the United States at a critical moment in our country’s history. I was happy to be leader author in the first article in this reader. The collection offers a chorus of voices emanating from different countries and populations, echoing commitment to bright, sustainable workforce futures through a well-crafted approach to this talent development model. The collected chapters and vignettes address questions for businesses of all sizes, community-based organizations, and schools looking for a way

An effective peace process is possible and desirable in Afghanistan. Success, however, will require a careful, step-by-step course to test bona fides, build confidence, reduce violence and encourage the difficult negotiations in which Afghans themselves determine the political future of Afghanistan. U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad has been working to re-engage the peace process in visits to the region, in meetings with international players, and in fostering the just completed deta

An abbreviated version of the following article first appeared in Fox News Opinion and is being republished in Pulse News Mexico with specific prior permission. The horrific Nov. 4 killing of U.S. citizen women and children in Sonora, Mexico, should prompt closer and more effective U.S.-Mexico cooperation against the cross-border organized crime that is seriously endangering citizens of both countries. These transnational criminal groups are undermining the sovereignty of both countries daily.

It is increasingly urgent that the United States achieve stability and predictability with its two largest trading partners. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) warns of a “synchronized global slowdown” powered significantly by trade tensions, and the Institute of International Finance flags 20-year highs in global trade and economic uncertainty. “Getting to Yes” on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) this year would diminish these threats in North America. Mexico and Canada ar

It is increasingly urgent that the United States achieve stability and predictability with its two largest trading partners. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) warns of a “synchronized global slowdown” powered significantly by trade tensions, and the Institute of International Finance flags 20-year highs in global trade and economic uncertainty. “Getting to Yes” on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) this year would diminish these threats in North America. Mexico and Canada ar

The following article first appeared in the U.S. political website “The Hill” and is being republished in Pulse News Mexico with specific prior permission. It is in the strong interest of Afghanistan, its neighbors, its international partners and especially, the United States, that the Afghanistan peace process not be abandoned, despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s declaring the U.S.-Taliban talks “dead.” No party can win a military victory any time soon in current circumstances, and Afghans

Because of the current U.S. trade dispute with China, Mexico has become United States’ Number 1 trade partner. Mexico’s Secretary of Foreign Relations (SRE) Marcelo Ebrard met in Washington, D.C. with U.S. officials on Tuesday, Sept. 10, in an effort to put U.S.-Mexico cooperation on firmer footing, and especially to overcome U.S. threats tied to migration and move ahead with the new United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA). Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) has b

It is in the strong interest of Afghanistan, its neighbors, its international partners and especially the United States, that the Afghanistan peace process not be abandoned, despite President Trump Donald declaring the U.S.-Taliban talks "dead."

Because of the U.S. trade dispute with China, Mexico has become America’s No. 1 trading partner. Mexico’s foreign minister is scheduled to be in Washington for meetings Tuesday, in an effort to put U.S.-Mexico cooperation on firmer footing, especially to overcome U.S. threats tied to migration and to move ahead with the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA). Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, known as “AMLO,” has been laboring to bring about what he views as a historic transformation in Mexico ...

We strongly support a negotiated peace in Afghanistan, a limited force drawdown as part of getting peace negotiations going, and the substantial force drawdown later that peace would allow. Equally strongly, we believe that U.S. security and values, including support for women, require that a full troop withdrawal can come only after a real peace. How our troop presence is managed will have a critical influence on the chances for successful peace negotiations, the future of the fight against th

This is a collaborative product of former US diplomatic officials who have worked on Afghanistan. We strongly support a negotiated peace in Afghanistan, a limited force drawdown as part of getting peace negotiations going, and the substantial force drawdown later that peace would allow. Equally strongly, we believe that US security and values, including support for women, require that a full troop withdrawal come only after a real peace. How our troop presence is managed will have a critical

(The following article first appeared in the Woodrow Wilson Center’s web site and is being republished in Pulse News Mexico with specific prior permission. Cross-border criminal activity fueled by illegal drugs is causing great damage in both Mexico and the United States. The two governments need to prioritize forging an agreed strategy and action agenda to tackle this serious problem. They should establish a permanent cabinet-level group to oversee bilateral counter-narcotics and cross-border

Cross-border criminal activity fueled by illegal drugs is causing great damage in both Mexico and the United States.  The two governments need to prioritize forging an…

The momentum for peace in Afghanistan is growing. The progress over the last year is far more than many “Afghan hands” have imagined. At present, U.S.-Taliban talks are apparently making progress on addressing U.S. counterterrorism concerns and on U.S. military withdrawal plans and timetables. Though the Taliban have so far refused to negotiate with the Afghan government, a well-publicized informal meeting in Doha, Qatar, between Taliban members and representatives from Kabul — including women

Is Peace Actually on the Horizon in Afghanistan? The momentum for peace in Afghanistan is growing. The progress over the last year is far more than many “Afghan hands” imagined. At present, U.S.-Taliban talks are apparently making progress on addressing U.S. counterterrorism concerns and on U.S. military withdrawal plans and timetables. Though the Taliban have so far refused to negotiate with the Afghan government, a well-publicized informal meeting in Doha, Qatar between Taliban members and r

Tony Wayne discusses the importance of the US-Mexico relationship. Wayne is a veteran diplomat who served as US ambassador to Mexico City from 2011 to 2015 and currently serves as the co-chair of the advisory board of the Mexico Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington.

How do trade agreements affect regular people? Tony Wayne, former Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs and US Ambassador to Mexico, breaks down both the recent US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and the preceding North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and explains why everything that happens between the US and Mexico is "intermestic," or both international and domestic.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) assumed office in December 2018, promising to bring a fourth revolution to Mexico and to reduce Mexico’s inequality, corruption, and violent crime. Yet a year into his administration, homicides and violent criminality in Mexico have not diminished. While the new government has undertaken new security initiatives and adopted new anti-crime priorities, the brazenness of organized crime has increased. Despite anti-corruption efforts, the country’

The Wilson Center's Mexico Institute was pleased to host a report launch for North America 2.0: A Workforce Development Agenda.

These powerpoint slides were used to present the new study, "North America 2.0: A Workforce Development Agenda" in Mexico City on December 3 and in Washington DC on December 10, 2019

This article originally appeared on VICE US. Within a matter of two months, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel brazenly killed 13 Mexican police officers; the Sinaloa cartel took an entire city hostage after the arrest of one of its leaders; and nine U.S.-citizen women and children were massacred in northern Mexico. Soon after, President Donald Trump proposed a solution: designate the cartels as terrorist organizations. The idea of designating Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations may not

Los cambios en el T-MEC según Anthony Wayne, ex embajador de Estados unidos en México, indicó que no están totalmente claros.

Ambassador Wayne presented the Wilson Center study and Mexico's Under Secretary of Economy, Luz Maria de la Mora, presented Mexico's perspective on Workforce Development and cooperation in North America.

In this Ground Truth Briefing, experts discussed the achievements and struggles of the first year of the López Obrador administration.

The US and Mexico have long joined forces to battle organized crime. Yet, it's hard to spot the success of those efforts in Mexico. The World's Monica Campbell reports.

An armchair discussion with the First Lady of Afghanistan Rula Ghani. The conversation will focus on the progress of women and their role in the peace process in Afghanistan. Women have made great economic and social strides in the past 15 years. More than 3.6 million girls are in school and women are now allowed to work, both of which are essential to peace and stability in Afghanistan. However, the work is not over.

Co-moderated a discussion at the Wilson Center with Mexico Institute Director Duncan Wood.

Photo of the award given to Jose Antonio Maduro of Rassini

Remarks given that the awards dinner

A talk about the prospects for passing the USMCA and the importance of its approval to the national conference of Mexico's export industry association, INDEX, in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Mexico and the United States are defying expectations by identifying ways to cooperate on the contentious issues surrounding migration. Since Mexico’s new president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO), took office on Dec. 1, U.S. and Mexican officials have hammered out a dual-track approach to tackling the flow and management of migrants heading northward from Central America to Mexico and the United States. One track is a cooperative multi-year strategy designed to help keep potential migrant

Former U.S. ambassador to Mexico and Argentina, and public policy fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center in Washington, D.C. Cooperation between Mexico and the United States regarding transnational crime is vital for the wellbeing of both countries. Both societies pay a high price for the illegal traffic in drugs, money, guns and people that cross our common border. The effective and efficient operation of the border itself is vital for the $1 million a minute of commerce between the

Former U.S. ambassador to Mexico and Argentina, and public policy fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center in Washington, D.C. The moment is ripe for the United States to double down on efforts to build a stronger relationship with Mexico for the longer term. Serious short-term problems need to be managed in a way that solidifies cooperation for the years ahead. On Saturday, Dec. 1, Mexico’s new president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), took office for a six-year term. He also no

The moment is ripe for the United States to double down on efforts to build a stronger relationship with Mexico for the longer term. Serious short-term problems need to be managed in a way that solidifies cooperation for the years ahead. On Saturday, Mexico’s new President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO), takes office for six years. He will also control both chambers of Mexico’s Congress. AMLO wants to focus on the “transformation” of Mexico, and major domestic reforms are the top priorities

International donors will convene in Geneva in late November to discuss the social and economic progress made in Afghanistan since the Brussels Donor Conference in 2016. The economic advances made by the Afghan government give donors reasons to be pleased about the results from their pledge to provide $15 billion in assistance through 2020, conditional on the government making progress on the reform program agreed upon in Brussels. In Geneva, donors should praise the reforms made while making cl

Former U.S. ambassador to Mexico and Argentina, and public policy fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center in Washington, D.C. On Dec. 1, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) will be sworn in as Mexico’s president. AMLO’s presidency will have important ramifications for the United States. Through trade, travel, heritage and history, U.S.-Mexico relations touch the daily lives of more American citizens than ties with any other country. The two countries trade over $1 million a minute, ha

International donors will have some good news when they gather to review Afghanistan’s economic progress on November 27–28 in Geneva. While peace prospects , Taliban attacks , and Afghanistan’s unsettled politics will be on everyone’s mind, donors can applaud positive reviews of Afghan performance from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as welcome steps. Afghanistan’s partners should still make clear, however, that continued aid depends on continued reform. Donor governmen

On Dec. 1, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) will be sworn in as Mexico’s president. AMLO’s presidency will have important ramifications for the United States. Through trade, travel, heritage and history, U.S.-Mexico relations touch the daily lives of more American citizens than ties with any other country. The two countries trade over $1 million a minute, have over $100 billion in mutual investment and share a million border crossings a day. AMLO promises a historic “transformation,” with wi

Former U.S. ambassador to Mexico and Argentina, and public policy fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center in Washington, D.C. U.S. President Donald Trump’s demands for neighboring governments to stop the most recent migrant caravan heading to the United States from Central America highlight the pressing need for a regionwide strategy to deal with migration flows. With the current caravan, the government of Mexico is caught between the forceful U.S. requests for action and portions of

President Trump Donald John TrumpTrump to fundraise for 3 Republicans running for open seats: report Trump to nominate former Monsanto exec to top Interior position White House aides hadn’t heard of Trump's new tax cut: report MORE’s demands for neighboring governments to stop the most recent migrant caravan heading to the U.S. from Central America highlight the pressing need for a region-wide strategy to deal with migration flows. With the current caravan, the government of Mexico is caught be

Former U.S. ambassador to Mexico and Argentina, and public policy fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center in Washington, D.C. The new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is a welcome step. If approved by each country’s legislature, the agreement will dissolve the uncertainty that has hovered over North America’s commercial and production networks for the last two years. A new rules-based agreement can be a major plus for the $1.2 trillion continental market. It is very important no

Former U.S. ambassador to Mexico and public policy fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center in Washington, D.C. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently appointed four special envoys to help him manage high priority portfolios regarding Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, and North Korea. His actions are understandable and can yield valuable results, if implemented well. The nomination and confirmation process for senior State Department positions in Washington and overseas has been terribly slow

The new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is a welcome step. If approved by each country’s legislature, the agreement will dissolve the uncertainty that has hovered over North America’s commercial and production networks for the last two years. A new rules-based agreement can be a major plus for the 1.2 trillion dollar continental market. It is very important now, however, to have good assessments of the potential results that will flow from the agreement. While President Trump lauds the po

Secretary of State Pompeo recently appointed four special envoys to help him manage high priority portfolios regarding Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, and North Korea. His actions are understandable and can yield valuable results, if implemented well.  The nomination and confirmation process for senior State Department positions in Washington and overseas has been terribly slow, yet the world has not slowed.

Former U.S. ambassador to Mexico and public policy fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center in Washington, D.C. As U.S. and Canadian officials resumed trade negotiations in Washington earlier this month, it is vital to realize that the United States gains massively from its economic relationship with Canada. Ending the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and moving ahead with only a new U.S.-Mexico trade agreement, as the White House has threatened to do, would damage the Unit

Former U.S. ambassador to Mexico and Argentina, and public policy fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center in Washington, D.C. Argentina faces a new economic storm in the midst of extraordinary efforts to restructure its economy and to move against ingrained corruption. Argentina itself must take and implement the hard decisions to succeed on both fronts, but it deserves strong support from its international partners, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the United States

As U.S. and Canadian officials resume trade negotiations in Washington, it is vital to realize that the United States gains massively from its economic relationship with Canada. Ending the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and moving ahead with only a new U.S.-Mexico trade agreement, as the White House has threatened, would damage the U.S. and Canada. Compared to what is at stake for the United States, the remaining U.S.-Canada trade differences are small and resolvable.

Argentina faces a new economic storm in the midst of extraordinary efforts to restructure its economy and to move against ingrained corruption. Argentina itself must take and implement the hard decisions to succeed on both fronts, but it deserves strong support from its international partners, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the United States and the investment community, as it strives to achieve these laudable goals.

The “preliminary agreement in principle” between Mexico and the United States is an important step forward in the effort to agree on a modernized trade agreement in North America. It is important to recognize, however, that the bilateral U.S.-Mexico agreement is not a good substitute for a trilateral agreement that brings in Canada, America’s largest trading partner. Much work lies ahead to agree upon a new North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that will significantly benefit the United

On August 27, US President Donald J. Trump and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto announced an initial agreement on a new bilateral trade relationship . The negotiations were initially intended to be a start for wider conversations on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), including the third treaty partner, Canada. During the announcement, however, Trump implied that he may choose to negotiate bilaterally with Canada instead of reviving the tripartite agreement.

Our trade agreement with Mexico and Canada, America's biggest trading partners, was just torn up and rewritten. Tariffs on imports from China and other countries are in affect and could go higher. Is the New World Order changing? And if so, where does the U.S. fit in? Former U.S. Ambassador Earl Anthony Wayne will be our special guest to give an inside perspective on America's role. Ran 15 times, from December 2018 through March 2019.

Enclosed are the PowerPoint slides that accompanied my December 7 talk on U.S.-Mexico Relations to the Tampa, Florida Council on Foreign Relations.

Cooperation between Mexico and the United States regarding transnational crime is vital for the well-being of both countries.

Mexican Ambassador Geronimo Gutierrez and Former Ambassador Tony Wayne talk about trade, public security and other key issues in US-Mexico relations.

We sit down with Earl Anthony Wayne, retired ambassador to Mexico, Argentina, and Afghanistan. He discusses U.S. trade relations with Mexico, the new NAFTA, and the refugee caravan. Wayne is in town as a guest of the World Affairs Council of Rochester.

Discussing recent successes in economic reforms and challenges remaining for Afghanistan's economy at the Wilson Center.

After a two-year period of uncertainty on the future of the North American Free Trade Agreement, the United States Mexico and Canada reached a new deal on the U.S. self-imposed deadline of September 30. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is now pending approval from each country’s legislature. If approved, what potential results will come from the agreement? The Wilson Center’s Canada and Mexico Institutes hosted a discussion on the beginning of a new era in North America’s trade

The new trade agreement between the United States, Canada, and Mexico “modernizes” the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and lifts a cloud of uncertainty that has lingered over the past several months, according to Earl Anthony Wayne, a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Global Business and Economics Program.In negotiations that went down to the wire, Canada agreed on September 30 to join the United States and Mexico in a revised version of NAFTA.

After a long year of negotiations, the United States and Mexico may have settled on some provisions for an updated NAFTA. But, in order to be a “North American Free Trade Agreement,” Canada needs to be a part of it – despite U.S. President Trump’s threats to dump Ottawa.

Yesterday, after more than a year of negotiations, the United States and Mexico announced a trade deal that resolves several contested bilateral issues. However, this tentative deal does not include Canada, which will join in negotiations this week. The deal has implications for jobs, manufacturing, and competitiveness across the continent. What does it mean for North American trade? What is the likelihood that the three countries will reach a trilateral trade agreement? What impact will this have on U.S.-Mexico relations? Senior Wilson Center experts discussed the implications of the U.S.-Mexico trade deal and what the next steps entail in this telephone briefing.

Earl Anthony Wayne, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico, and Bruce Heyman, former U.S. ambassador to Canada, weigh in on the preliminary agreement between U.S. and Mexico and what's needed to bring Canada into the deal.

President Trump’s new national security strategy stresses the importance of promoting America’s prosperity and security. It highlights rivalry and competition with China and Russia and underscores the importance of strengthening international alliances where partners shoulder their responsibilities. Our North American neighbors, Mexico and Canada, should be priority partners under President Donald Trump’s new strategy for enhancing U.S. security and prosperity. Both are willing and effective pa

The United States, Mexico, and Canada are in the midst of renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which came into force in 1994. Millions of jobs, massive cross-border production networks, and broader cooperation on fighting transnational crime are at stake. Today, trade among the three countries has grown almost four times, supporting up to 14 million U.S. jobs and generating $1.3 trillion of commerce each year. The security, political, and economic costs and consequence

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is a free trade agreement signed by Canada, Mexico and the United States in 1993 and came into force on January 1st, 1994.  After more than 23 years of successful economic cooperation, supporting 14 million U.S. jobs and generating $1.2 trillion of commerce each year, the trade agreement is now being renegotiated and faces very tough challenges as the U.S. administration is pursuing major changes, not just a modernization.

The fifth round of negotiations to modernize the trade agreement between the United States, Canada and Mexico begins this week, after a contentious October session, a prolonged break and a decision to extend talks into early 2018.

Too many Americans are dying from trafficked illegal drugs, and too many Mexicans are dying from violence related to the criminal gangs that traffic drugs. That is the unfortunate summary of a shared problem: Mexican organized crime groups help feed U.S. demand for illegal drugs, and in turn, many billions of U.S. dollars feed the violence and corruption which the criminal groups spawn in Mexico.

Texas has the most to lose of any U.S. state if NAFTA talks go wrong. It has a great deal to gain if the talks to modernize NAFTA go well. Now that the negotiations have slowed over controversial U.S. proposals, Texans and their elected federal and state representatives should be making very clear to the Trump administration team overseeing the NAFTA negotiations that they should do no harm to the massive Texas-Mexico trade relationship, and rather focus on creating new opportunities. The contr

Texas has the most to lose of any U.S. state if NAFTA talks go wrong. It has a great deal to gain if the talks to modernize NAFTA go well. Now that the negotiations have slowed over controversial U.S. proposals, Texans and their elected federal and state representatives should be making very clear to the Trump administration team overseeing the NAFTA negotiations that they should do no harm to the massive Texas-Mexico trade relationship, and rather focus on creating new opportunities.

The United States and Mexico need to redouble their cooperation against organized crime in order to save lives in both countries, but hard-line U.S. proposals now expected in the ongoing NAFTA renegotiation could put this vital security cooperation at risk.

The focus now should be on the implementation of the new U.S. strategy for Afghanistan and the region. Commentators debate the pros and cons of the approach, but it is now U.S. policy. It requires careful coordination and integration of the tools of American power—military, diplomatic, economic and development—to move toward its objective: a negotiated Afghan political settlement. The policy’s specifics must now be defined and executed.

Continental supply chains that link Canada, the United States and Mexico mean that much of what is produced in each country has content from its neighbors. For example, a CRV SUV built in Jalisco, Mexico, has inputs of 70% from the United States and Canada. To establish these supply and production chains, private firms in all three countries have invested in their neighbors: U.S. companies have invested about 386 billion dollars in Canada and 108 billion dollars in Mexico.

Modernizing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is beginning with a “sprint.” The three governments have agreed to an accelerated set of negotiating rounds to see if they can forge an updated arrangement for trade between Mexico, Canada and the United States by early 2018. It will be a tough dash, with immensely important stakes.

International trade, just like selling goods in the U.S. market, is about competition and fair rules. Often, government can play a key role in creating or expanding opportunities for trade and thus in boosting prosperity and jobs.

Afghanistan has severely challenged every U.S. administration since the fall of 2001. The Trump administration is debating intensely what strategy, if any, might lead to more success than its predecessors achieved and turn around the “stalemate” on the ground in Afghanistan.

Diez exembajadores de Estados Unidos en México y Canadá desde la negociación del Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte (TLCAN) enviaron una carta conjunta al presidente Donald Trump para pedirle que no ponga en riesgo el acuerdo trinacional, y destacaron los beneficios comerciales y de seguridad regional vinculados con ese instrumento.

NAFTA negotiations will have a major impact on San Diego and the border economy

The United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced a set of U.S. trade objectives for a modernized North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on Monday. The objectives seem to offer a bit to everyone, trade skeptics and trade advocates alike. To do so, they use strong yet vague rhetoric on protectionists’ priorities, like the trade deficit, while promising to maintain and expand market access for U.S. farmers, manufacturers and the broader business community.

Mexico, Canada and the United States will soon sit down to update the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Moving toward that process, U.S. and Mexican business leaders and officials will meet Tuesday in Washington with the “modernization” of NAFTA, as the U.S. Trade Representative put it to Congress, on the agenda. Many agree that this effort is worthwhile to keep our region competitive.

Last week, officials from the U.S. and Mexico revitalized their commitment to fight cross-border smuggling of drugs, arms and money. U.S. officials recognized America’s demand for drugs as “the magnet” that feeds drug smuggling, and Mexico committed to tackle jointly the elements of the cartels’ business model. While illegal immigration and drugs dominate much of the public discourse around U.S.-Mexico relations, the partnership between these countries is vital and dynamic in many other ways.

Mexico and the United States appear to have reached broad agreement on a framework for fighting the organized criminal groups that are responsible for much of the drug trade in the two countries. May 18 meetings between the lead ministers for each government seem to have yielded consensus to take a “fresh” approach to a set of challenges that have vexed both neighbors for decades.

Secretary of State Tillerson and Homeland Security Secretary Kelly meet their Mexican counterparts on May 18 to discuss the fight against organized crime and drug smuggling. This is a positive sign in a relationship that has been shaken by U.S. criticisms this year. Both countries need good—and better—cooperation against drugs and cartels.

Senate hearing on the economic relationship between the United States, Canada, and Mexico, particularly regarding the renegotiations of NAFTA

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is a free trade agreement signed by Canada, Mexico and the United States in 1993 and came into force on January 1st, 1994.  After more than 23 years of successful economic cooperation, supporting 14 million U.S. jobs and generating $1.2 trillion of commerce each year, the trade agreement is now being renegotiated and faces very tough challenges as the U.S. administration is pursuing major changes, not just a modernization.

Private sector development in Afghanistan is a crucial topic for U.S engagement in the region. Between 2002 and 2010, about 57 billion US dollars of official development assistance (ODA) was disbursed to Afghanistan for purposes of reconstruction and development. Less than five percent of the ODA has gone towards private sector development in Afghanistan, with most of the money allocated to infrastructure, agriculture and rural development, and governance.

Please join CSIS on November 14 for a conversation with Dr. Abdullah Abdullah on the future of Afghanistan. This conversation will focus on the United States' new strategy in Afghanistan, regional dynamics of security in Afghanistan, reforms agenda and prospects for peace.

Dallas, (Notimex).- En la renegociación del TLCAN 'estamos jugando con fuego', advirtió el exembajador de Estados Unidos en México, Earl Anthony Wayne, al destacar que el acuerdo tiene influencias que se extienden mas allá de las economías de los tres países que lo conforman.

19th International Seminar on Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Finance, Mexico City

As North America strengthens its global competitive advantage in advanced manufacturing and logistics, we are facing significant and growing labor market shortfalls. We share a common challenge, and also a common opportunity, to “up-skill” and grow our next generation of front-line manufacturing and logistics workers by streamlining and harmonizing our approach to standards and training, and to bring maximum value to workforce credentials.

NAFTA 2.0 is a big opportunity for San Diego and the entire U.S.-Mexico border region. From the perspective of the cities and states along the U.S.-Mexico border there are two big objectives: first, do no harm to the massive trade, production and investment networks that support over a million U.S. jobs in the border states; and second, assure that NAFTA 2.0 creates new opportunities for economic growth, more fluid commercial border flows, and steps that will make cross-border production more competitive internationally.

“Careers in Global Development” is a monthly series featuring U.S. senior-level, multilateral and NGO officials who have worked in the field of development for at least twenty years. The series is aimed at young professionals who are interested in working in development and will include a one-hour dialogue on both the specific expertise of the speaker, as well as the career path and influences along the way.

American Committees on Foreign Relations - 22nd Annual Conference

Analysts and former ambassadors talked about possible U.S. policy and strategy toward Afghanistan in the upcoming Trump administration. They assessed the current situation in the region, and laid out what they thought were key priorities for the incoming administration to pursue in order to achieve further security, stability and autonomy for Afghanistan’s government and people. Analysts and former ambassadors talked about possible U.S. policy and strategy toward Afghanistan in the upcoming Tru

The new administration should resist the tendency for the NSC staff to grow in size and take on operational responsibilities. Many around the world and across the United States are watching with rapt attention reports about President-elect Trump’s potential national security team. His choices will be vital in shaping America’s international role for the years ahead.

Many around the world and across the United States are watching with rapt attention reports about President-elect Trump’s potential national security team. His choices will be vital in shaping America’s international role for the years ahead. After forty years as U.S. diplomat, having worked through presidential transitions, I am watching from the outside, teaching about foreign policy decision-making at Hamilton College this semester.

Mexico has been a punching bag in the United States election campaign this year. Rather than hitting our neighbor with insults and threats, however, we should be cementing partnership with Mexico to strengthen our economy and security. The American public has been fed misleading explanations, factual distortions, and bad solutions.

On October 5 in Brussels, seventy-five countries and over twenty international organizations agreed to continue support for the government of Afghanistan with $15.2 billion in development assistance over the next four years. This aid complements the promises of continued security assistance made earlier at the 2016 NATO Warsaw summit.

The Obama years have encompassed an intense, challenging period in Afghanistan policy. The U.S. role in the war in that country, dating back to 2001, has cost more than 2,300 American lives and $800 billion in American resources, most over the last eight years. We mourn the dead and wounded and grieve for their families, and profoundly cherish their service to the nation.

This week, the European Union and the Afghan government will co-host the third in a series of conferences in Brussels that will convene Afghanistan’s partners to discuss future foreign assistance commitments. At the 2012 Conference in Tokyo seventy international donors promised to mobilize $16 billion for Afghanistan in total foreign assistance over the subsequent four years, with the United States expected to cover about half of the amount.

During the integration process of North America there were two important turning points that ensued in 1965. Firstly, the agreement on automotive products signed by the United States and Canada which provided an incentive for the creation of a more comprehensive free trade agreement between the two countries in 1988.

By Earl Anthony Wayne Trade with Mexico supports some 4.9 million U.S. jobs, according to a new project by the Woodrow Wilson Center's Mexico Institute. We should be seriously thinking about the millions of U.S. jobs supported by trade with our southern neighbor while weighing the wisdom of calls for imposing 35% [...]

Since the attacks of September 11, the United States has engaged in and with Afghanistan in pursuit of common strategic interests. Our cooperation with the Afghan government and Afghan people remains a key front in a generational conflict against violent extremists across the greater Middle East.

El presidente Obama recibirá por última vez en la Casa Blanca a su homólogo mexicano, Enrique Peña Nieto, el próximo viernes 22. Esta visita es una oportunidad para ambos de consolidar el sustancial progreso hecho en construir una colaboración bilateral y en fijar sólidas bases institucionales para llevar la relación adelante.

President Obama will receive Mexico’s President Enrique Peña Nieto July 22 in Washington. This is a critical opportunity to highlight the importance of U.S.-Mexico ties, to underscore the substantial progress in cooperation, and to accentuate how the campaign rhetoric in the United States is out of tune with the reality of relations.

President Obama will meet Mexico’s President Enrique Peña Nieto at the White House on July 22. This is a critical opportunity to stress the importance of U.S.-Mexico ties, to highlight the substantial progress in government-to-government cooperation, and to underscore how the U.S. campaign rhetoric is out of tune with the reality of the relations with Mexico.

On June 29, President Obama, Prime Minister Trudeau, and President Peña Nieto will meet in Ottawa for a North American Leaders Summit (NALS). While often ignored or criticized, America’s relations with Canada and Mexico touch the daily lives of more U.S. citizens than any other relationships in the world.  Positive, productive relations among neighbors will help generate the well-being and economic growth our citizens seek.

Contrary to campaign rhetoric, the integration of North America over the past quarter century has successfully grown the continental economy and enabled it to compete in global markets. And, in North America this has been done without the centralized institutions that UK voters just rejected. The June 29 North American Leaders' Summit in Ottawa offers an opportunity to launch even smarter collaboration across Canada, Mexico, and the United States that respects the sovereignty of each partner.

Contrary to campaign rhetoric, the integration of North America over the past quarter century has successfully grown the continental economy and enabled it to compete in global markets. And, in North America this has been done without the centralized institutions that UK voters just rejected. The June 29 North American Leaders’ Summit in Ottawa offers an opportunity to launch even smarter collaboration across Canada, Mexico, and the United States that respects the sovereignty of each partner.

Cuando los presidentes Enrique Peña Nieto y Barack Obama se reúnan el 29 de junio con el primer ministro de Canadá, Justin Trudeau, para la Cumbre de Líderes de América del Norte (NALS) en Ottawa, enfrentarán dos difíciles tareas. La primera será explicar por qué la cooperación entre los tres países es un asunto de gran valor.

Michael Kergin is a former Canadian ambassador to the U.S.; Earl Anthony Wayne is a former U.S. ambassador to Mexico and Arturo Sarukhan is former Mexican ambassador to the U.S. This week's North American Leaders' Summit (NALS) in Ottawa is the first time Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, President Barack Obama and President Enrique Peña Nieto will discuss issues affecting the continent together.

Relations among North America’s three big neighbors are much more important to their citizens’ self-interest than the great majority of those citizens realize. The U.S. media’s focus on Mexico is too often negative, while Canada frequently gets neglected. The political campaign season in the United States has magnified negative statements about North American ties by candidates building on stereotypes and false premises.

Energy and Environment will be key topics when the leaders of North America gather for a Summit in Canada on June 29.  Because of a closer orientation among the three governments, the leaders of Canada, Mexico and the United States have a real opportunity to think about cooperation across our continent in a new way.  President Obama, Prime Minister Trudeau and President Peña Nieto can enunciate a shared strategic vision of energy security and environmental protection.

A transatlantic trade deal, currently being negotiated by the United States and the European Union, is critical to improving existing standards on issues such as public health, environmental regulations, and labor and safety issues, according to a new Atlantic Council report.“TTIP holds the promise to boost the transatlantic economy and give new strength to the EU-US partnership,” Andrea Montanino, Director of the Atlantic Council’s Global Business and Economics Program and Earl Anthony Wayne ...

Interviews with participants in the civilian surge efforts in Afghanistan.

Durante mis 40 años como diplomático he tenido el privilegio de descubrir tanto los mejores como los peores aspectos de países alrededor del mundo, incluido el mío. Uno de los temas más difíciles que he trabajado en múltiples naciones ha sido el aumento de la trata de personas. En mis casi cuatro años como embajador en México me he percatado agudamente de cómo el tráfico de personas es una plaga en este país y en nuestra región, América del Norte, como un todo.

La propiedad intelectual —las patentes, las marcas, los derechos de autor y los secretos industriales— siguen siendo el motor del crecimiento económico y una ventaja competitiva sostenible.

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz defendió los derechos de la mujer en el siglo XVII. Marie Curie ganó el Premio Nobel en dos ocasiones por sus trabajos descubriendo la radioactividad. Amelia Earhart fue la primera mujer en volar sola cruzando el Atlántico.

El embajador de Estados Unidos en México señala que hay que ir más allá de los intercambios comerciales y de inversión. Anthony Wayne, representante en México del gobierno de Estados Unidos, anunciará esta semana la firma de un Memorándum de Entendimiento entre las dos naciones con objeto de establecer programas de intercambio de pasantías para que mexicanos puedan acudir por algunas semanas a Estados Unidos y viceversa...

Imaginemos una ciudad cuyos habitantes han perdido la fe en las instituciones gubernamentales, desde los políticos hasta la policía. Bajo un gobierno corrupto, los sobornos son la norma y se permite que florezca el crimen organizado.

El 17 de octubre de 1987, más de 100 mil personas se reunieron en la plaza Trocadero en París, Francia, para recordar a quienes viven en pobreza extrema y hacer un llamado a los líderes mundiales a unirse y trabajar juntos para responder el clamor de los pobres...

La facilidad actual de los viajes internacionales ha hecho que el mundo sea más accesible para todos nosotros, ofreciendo oportunidades para que los ciudadanos de México y Estados Unidos tengan la libertad de explorar los ricos tesoros históricos, culturales y artísticos que están justo al otro lado de la frontera.

"Con esta administración del presidente Enrique Peña Nieto hay una visión compartida entre el presidente Obama y el de México que facilita el trabajo entre las naciones" Anthony Wayne, embajador de EU en México.

El Mundial de futbol es un acontecimiento deportivo que emociona a millones de personas sin importar cultura, nacionalidad o religión. Es un motivo de unión y convivencia en el que portamos con orgullo los colores de nuestros países y depositamos la esperanza en nuestros guerreros del balón. Mañana arrancará en Brasil la fiesta deportiva más importante del mundo: la Copa Mundial de la FIFA Brasil 2014.

El sábado 3 de mayo celebramos el Día Mundial de la Libertad de Prensa, una ocasión para que los países conmemoren los principios fundamentales de este derecho, evalúen su estado a escala mundial, defiendan a los medios de los ataques contra su independencia y rindan tributo a los periodistas que han perdido sus vidas en la línea del deber. http://www.milenio.com/opinion/anthony-wayne/columna-anthony-wayne/una-prensa-libre-vital-para-la-democracia

esde noviembre pasado el pueblo de Ucrania lucha por definir su futuro. En el proceso se han convertido en símbolo de valor y cambio pacífico para el mundo entero. La comunidad internacional se mantiene unida a Ucrania, respeta su soberanía y su integridad territorial, apoya a sus ciudadanos con el espacio y la ayuda para que determinen cómo manejar su país y que elecciones tomar...

Como especie, los seres humanos tenemos la responsabilidad especial de ser defensores de nuestro medio ambiente. No somos las criaturas más grandes o más fuertes, pero con certeza somos los más poderosos que han caminado sobre la Tierra. Si bien tenemos el poder de destruir, también tenemos el de proteger, esto incluye el papel fundamental de cuidar a otros seres vivos que comparten nuestro ecosistema.

propósito de la conmemoración del Día Mundial de la Lucha contra el Sida, el día primero de este mes, puede afirmarse que no hay un elemento de la relación bilateral más importante entre México y Estados Unidos que el de la salud. No hay dos países en el planeta que compartan tantas personas como Estados Unidos y México...

La trata de personas debe preocupar a cada individuo, porque es la degradación de nuestra humanidad común. Debe preocupar a cada comunidad porque desgarra el tejido social. Debe preocupar a cada empresa porque distorsiona los mercados. Debe preocupar a cada nación porque pone en peligro la salud pública y alimenta la violencia y el crimen organizado. Estoy hablando de la injusticia, de la brutalidad de la trata de personas, a la que debe llamarse por su verdadero nombre: esclavitud moderna .

El Día Internacional de los Derechos Humanos, que celebramos cada 10 de diciembre, conmemora la adopción de la Declaración Universal de Derechos Humanos por la Asamblea General de la Organización de las Naciones Unidas en 1948. Al adoptar la declaración, Estados Unidos, México y gobiernos alrededor del mundo reconocieron que los seres humanos son, por virtud de su nacimiento, investidos con ciertos derechos inalienables, y que éstos sirven como “fundamentos de la libertad, la justicia y la paz alrededor del mundo".

Alrededor del mundo, la atención de la gente se ha volcado sobre México por la toma de posesión de otro presidente libremente electo, Enrique Peña Nieto. Pero cada año, el 1º de diciembre también conmemoramos el Día Mundial de la Lucha contra el Sida (síndrome de inmunodeficiencia adquirida), y reflexionamos sobre las vidas perdidas a causa de este padecimiento. Es una oportunidad de rendir tributo a los 34 millones de personas que viven con VIH (virus de inmunodeficiencia humana) en todo el mundo. Hoy celebramos las vidas que se han salvado y que han mejorado, y volvemos a comprometernos con la lucha contra el Sida...

El 22 de septiembre de 1862, el presidente Abraham Lincoln anunció la Proclamación de Emancipación, que liberó a casi cuatro millones de hombres, mujeres y niños de las cadenas de la esclavitud y comprometió a Estados Unidos a terminar con este delito en toda la nación. Al conmemorar el 150 aniversario de este gran paso en la promoción de derechos humanos en Estados Unidos; países alrededor del mundo, incluyendo Estados Unidos, continúan marcados por servidumbre involuntaria y llevan el yugo de los mitos que la apoyan. Para erradicar esta moderna aflicción a la sociedad debemos de reconocer estos mitos y reemplazarlos con la verdad...

Día Internacional de la Lucha contra el Uso Indebido y el Tráfico Ilícito de Drogas: esfuerzos para remediar las adicciones a las drogas en los Estados Unidos En pocas palabras, la drogadicción es primero un problema de salud y luego un problema de justicia penal, y no al revés.

Published Writings during Wayne's service as service as Ambassador to Argentina.

Conversations with History host Harry Kreisler welcomes Earl Anthony Wayne, Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs. They discuss changes in U.S. economic policy under President George W. Bush.

Subcommittee Hearing NAFTA: A Ten Year Perspective and Implications for the Future

Writings and interviews during Wayne's service as Assistant Secretary of Economics and Business Affairs.

Burros, William, and University of Pittsburgh. Center for West European Studies. Global Security Beyond 2000: Global Population Growth, Environmental Degradation, Migration, And Transnational Organized Crime : November 2-3, 1995, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA : Conference Report. Pittsburgh, PA: Center for West European Studies, University of Pittsburgh, 1996.

Some remarks during Wayne's work in the State Department's European Affairs Bureau

Earl Anthony Wayne was the National Security Correspondent for "The Christian Science Monitor" from July 1987 until July 1989. In that position, he wrote over 200 news articles and short "news in brief" pieces for the daily and weekly editions of the newspaper.