Mr. Herminio Blanco was born in Chihuahua in 1950. He initiatedthe process of Japan-Mexico EPA (signed in 2004, effectuated in 2005). Earned B.A. in Economics from Monterrey Institute ofTechnology in 1971, and Ph.D in Economics from the University of Chicago in 1978. He served as Vice-Minister for Foreign Trade inMinistry of Trade and Industry (88-90).
Then, appointed as Chief Negotiator of NAFTA (90-93) and the establishment of WTO as Vice-Minister for International Trade Negotiation (93-94). During 1994-2000, he served as Minister of Trade and Industry.
Throughout his career in the Ministry, he played a leading and decisive role in the design and implementation of recent structural changes to Mexico’s economy through the establishment of a vast FTA/EPA network. He is a founder and President of IQOM Inteligencia Comercial and IQOM Strategic Advisers in Washington D.C. which gives strategic advice on trade and investment across the region.
In this interview, Mr. Blanco spoke about Mexico’s current situation in the context of new factors such as the corona disaster, the U.S.-China confrontation, and the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) coming into force, as well as the renewal of relations with the United States, where a new administration is taking office.
He said that Latin America and the Caribbean was severely affected by COVID-19 largely because of the governments’ unwillingness to learn from the successes of other countries. He also noted that the spread of COVID-19 has prompted a need for rapid standardization of regulations and rules and the development of guidelines for emergency situations related to the USMCA, which could lead to a shorter supply chain and thus convince the United States of the benefits of relying on neighboring sources over remote sources.
On the other hand, the USMCA includes new provisions pertaining to labor disputes that were not included in NAFTA, but the Biden administration has expressed the expectation that it will take a cooperative approach to resolving issues in accordance with the overall
intent of the agreement. From the above, the benefits of the USMCA to Mexico’s manufacturing industry are significant and the future is bright. With that in mind, Mexico will be able to provide an excellent opportunity and location for Japanese small and medium-sized companies to further strengthen their competitiveness, he concluded.
You can download whole interview as below. Format is pdf.
Interview with Mr.Herminio Blanco