Digital Transformation Agency / Canada and USMCA

Digital Transformation Agency. José Merino, Head, Digital Transformation Agency, outlined the agency's main goals: unifying and optimizing the federal government’s technological capacities to reduce costs, enhance autonomy, and simplify access to public services. The agency’s strategy focuses on seven areas: digitizing services, reducing regulatory burdens, promoting cost efficiency, continuous citizen support, building data-driven public capacities, ensuring technological autonomy and security, and affirming internet access as a right.

The agency’s agenda includes streamlining processes, digitalization, digital identity development, creating a Center for Well-being Assistance, and establishing digital infrastructure like software factories and a Mexican Space Program. According to Merino, this agency represents a globally unique model in integrating government technology.

The agency is organized into three sections: enablers, production, and citizen services. The enablers section focuses on digital infrastructure, software development, data intelligence, and procurement assessment under the new Law on Simplification and Digitalization. The production section will develop digital services centered on LlaveMX as a digital identity system, with plans to expand the model to states and municipalities nationwide. The citizen services section will focus on improving direct support to the public.

In its first year, the agency plans to launch LlaveMX, Nube México (a government cloud), a National Technology Center, a National Cybersecurity Plan, and a National Investment Portal, while also enhancing services like consular procedures and the Digital Water Procedures Portal.

When questioned about the potential savings of digitalization of processes and corruption reduction, Merino said that only in Mexico City, when launching a similar platform, the entity saved over MX$3.5 billion (US$170.3 million). 

Ontario Premier Proposes Excluding Mexico from USMCA. President Claudia Sheinbaum said that the proposal by Ontario’s Premier, Doug Ford, to exclude Mexico from the USMCA has no future. She reminded that when the United States initially considered a bilateral agreement with Mexico during the negotiation of the USMCA, Mexico insisted that the deal include all three North American countries. 

She also emphasized that the agreement benefits all three countries, and while there will be a review of the treaty in 2026, it will not involve renegotiation. The president reiterated that the countries complement each other rather than compete and that the benefits of the agreement for the United States are significant.

Ban on Transgenic Corn. After Mexico lost its dispute panel case against the United States regarding restrictions on imports of genetically modified corn, President Sheinbaum emphasized that the best defense for biodiversity and health is to elevate the cultivation of non-genetically modified white corn to constitutional status. This initiative, part of a package of constitutional reforms proposed by former President López Obrador, is expected to be approved by the Chamber of Deputies. Sheinbaum highlighted Mexico's self-sufficiency in white corn and stressed the country's responsibility to preserve its biodiversity, including the genetic variety of corn cultivated by indigenous peoples. She also noted concerns about the potential health risks of genetically modified crops and the dependence of farmers on seeds. The president called for improvements in seed quality through local cultivation and public institutions, rather than laboratory modifications. She also emphasized the need to increase domestic bean production to reduce imports, as Mexico imports over 300,000t of beans.