La Jornada: Mexico will sign the global agreement with the EU next week

The Modernized Global Agreement, which the federal government will sign with the European Union next week, will give preferential access to Mexican agri-food products in that market; Different denominations of origin are recognized and chapters on digital commerce and for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) are added, indicated the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Roberto Velasco Álvarez.

During yesterday’s morning press conference at the National Palace, President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo insisted on the relevance for Mexico of advancing in updating the trade agreement between Mexico, the United States and Canada (T-MEC), but also on opening other horizons.

Meanwhile, Velasco Álvarez explained that the summit on May 22 will include an interim trade agreement that would come into force this year, since the global agreement must still be ratified by all European countries, which he acknowledged “will take time.”

For this event, the visit to the country of the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, is planned; the president of the European Council, António Costa, and the high representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, among others.

Sheinbaum Pardo highlighted that the agreement will be signed by two women, and stressed that “it is a very good signature, it is a very good advance. And it obviously shows the certainty that there is about the country.”

T-MEC, first of all

When exposing what are the important issues for Mexico, he said that “first, we are interested in the United States treaty, obviously. And it is very important to advance in the review of the treaty with the United States and Canada, fundamental, but we are also opening other horizons: the case of Europe, the case of other agreements that we have.”

Furthermore, he indicated that despite the effects on the automotive sector due to the measures that the United States government has implemented, “little by little the industry has been reorienting” in Mexico, first in the domestic market, and at the same time “the export of certain vehicle models” focused on the US market has been increasing. He announced that “good news is coming soon” on this issue, without elaborating on it.