Mexican Leaders Visit Washington to Highlight USMCA Value

A delegation led by Business Coordinating Council (CCE) President Francisco Cervantes and Altagracia Gómez Sierra, coordinator of the Regional Economic Development and Relocation Advisory Council (CADERR), visited Washington D. C., from Oct. 20 to 22 for "Mexico Day." The mission aimed to reinforce Mexico's role in US national security and economic competitiveness and highlight the strategic importance of a successful United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) review for the region.

The CCE noted that the meetings underscored the critical stage of binational dialogue ahead of the USMCA review.

The delegation’s agenda included meetings with US officials, business leaders, legislators, and think tanks. Official engagements included dialogues with Department of State Assistant Secretary Christopher Landau, Department of Commerce Undersecretary William Kimmitt, and senior officials from the Office of the US Trade Representative.

Business meetings involved members of the National Association of Manufacturers and leaders from the US Chamber of Commerce, including Vice President John Murphy and Senior Vice President for the Western Hemisphere Neil Herrington.

The CCE exchanged perspectives on key challenges facing the USMCA negotiation in the automotive sector with the American Automotive Policy Council. A working session with the National Foreign Trade Council, representing US companies with international operations, focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation and exploring opportunities for productive integration.

Meetings with think tanks, including the American First Policy Institute, resulted in agreements to share success stories about Mexican companies’ contributions to employment and investment in both countries. Legislative meetings were held with members of the US House of Representatives and Senate.
The Mexican business mission included leaders from the automotive, cargo transport, steel, technology and communications, agro-food, energy, construction, textile, electrical, financial, and logistics sectors. Public sector representatives included Roberto Velasco, Undersecretary for North America at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ernesto Acevedo, the Ministry of Economy’s representative in Washington.

The CCE emphasized that the “Mexico Day” initiative seeks to strengthen the USMCA as a platform for shared, sustainable regional development through institutional and technical dialogue.

Larry Rubin, President, American Society Mexico, highlighted the value of the trip for providing firsthand insights into Mexico’s situation and noted strong interest in the US Congress. He praised Altagracia Gómez Sierra’s participation and announced plans for another high-level mission to Washington, emphasizing the importance of private sector engagement in the successful renegotiation of the USMCA.