Mexico

The Mexican government is prepared to respond to any complaint filed under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement’s novel labor-dispute resolution mechanism, the country’s economy secretary, Graciela Márquez Colín, said on Tuesday as the AFL-CIO gears up to launch a case.

Both New York senators argued for Canada to fairly allocate its TRQs and for Mexico to recognize promised generic cheese names.

Customs agencies in the U.S., Mexico, Canada remain in close contact on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement implementation, officials said this week, enjoying what one U.S. official dubbed the “honeymoon” phase.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s new plan to address the complaints of southeastern seasonal growers about their Mexican counterparts is “politically motivated” and positions the U.S. as an untrustworthy trading partner, the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas, which represents importers of Mexican produce, said on Wednesday.

Following Section 232 consultations with the U.S., Mexico has agreed to create a “strict export monitoring” system through June 2021 to address recent surges in pipe, mechanical tubing and semi-finished steel products, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said on Monday.

Witnesses at the Trump administration’s recent hearings on the impact of seasonal produce imports from Mexico on the U.S. industry presented no real evidence that investigations or restrictions would be justified, a Mexican official told Inside U.S. Trade on Thursday, saying the issue has become “political” in an election year.

Mexican Undersecretary for North America Jesús Seade on Thursday criticized what he called a “perception” that he is not among the frontrunners to lead the World Trade Organization, insisting he is “among the leading pack.”

Three GOP senators urge the Trump administration to use “all available mechanisms” to ensure Mexican market access for U.S. potatoes.

Lawmakers from Georgia and Florida will testify on Thursday.