Mexico:Gateway to North American market

Please briefly introduce the bilateral trade of ChinaMexico in recent years.

García：Since the establishment of the Strategic Comprehensive Partnership by our two Presidents in 2013， Mexico and China have committed to strengthening the bilateral relation， through an action-oriented agenda aimed at deepening our dialogue， economic exchanges and cooperation in key areas， such as science and technology， and the promotion of culture and tourism. Boosting bilateral trade and investment has been a top priority that has been translated into important and tangible results for both countries. Today there are more high-quality Mexican products in the Chinese market ranging from agrofood products like tequila， avocados and berries， to value-added manufactures such as vehicles and auto-parts， of which Mexico is the first Latin American exporter to China.

An increasing interest exists among Chinese companies for exploring or increasing investment opportunities in Mexico. Sinohydro， Haier and Hisense， for instance， are just a few of the most recent examples of Chinese enterprises that have identified areas of opportunity to further advance their successful presence in Mexico. The agro-food， auto parts， automotive， renewable energy， infrastructure and mining sectors represent major opportunities for establishing more joint ventures， between Mexican and Chinese companies.

Mexico is part of North American Free Trade Area， and has also signed 10 free trade agreements spanning 45 countries. What are the international trade advantages that these agreements and the strategic location of the country bring to Mexico？

García：As one of the most open economies in the world， Mexico makes an excellent business partner. We rank among some of the most competitive global economies and have consistently performed as one of the most attractive recipients of foreign investment due to our macroeconomic and political stability， low inflation， growth rate and capacity to produce advanced manufacturing （high-tech products）. Also， thanks to our great location we benefit from our relationship with the United States but we also play an important role as the bridge between North America and Latin America.

Regarding the North American Free Trade Agreement， it is noteworthy that trade exchanges among the three membercountries （Mexico， Canada and the US） exceeds 100 million dollars per hour. The NAFTA region represents 19.2 trillion dollars， which accounts for more than 25% of the global GDP. These figures reflect the position of Mexico as a global trading power.

With strong link to the US， which is the largest exhibition market in the world， how is the historical development of Mexican exhibition industry？

García：The development of Mexican exhibition industry has been gaining importance throughout the years. Today， Mexico successfully hosts an important number of first-class exhibitions on a wide variety of products and services oriented to both the domestic and the international markets， and the list keeps growing.

As the government agency charged with the promotion of trade and investment， ProMexico plays a key role in providing support， in partnership with different stakeholders， to promote the strategic sectors of the Mexican economy such as manufacture， agroindustry and aerospace， among others. In this context， ProMexico also organizes matchmaking sessions or B2Bs in order to assist in identifying market opportunities for our partners and clients.

What are the current economic development priorities in Mexico？ What are the opportunities for Chinese export companies and investors？

García：With the coordinated efforts of our governments， Mexico and China are expanding their network of sanitary protocols to open new opportunities for agro-food producers， exporters， importers， distributors and consumers in our respective markets. Today Chinese consumers can enjoy our world-famous avocados， tequila， beer， berries， and other highquality Mexican products. In the industry sector， more Chinese investors are discovering the great potential of our global value chains in the automotive and appliance business and an increasing number of Chinese companies are furthering their presence in the energy sector in Mexico as a result of the structural reforms that the government of Mexico has recently implemented.

Furthermore， Chinese companies might find interesting to partner up with Mexican counterparts in multimedia， design and creative industries. We have several public and private RD centers developing high tech products for various industries， which might represent attractive and exciting new opportunities for business overseas.In Mexico， Chinese investors will find a sophisticated and advanced regulatory system. For example， opening a company in our country entails an easy 6-step procedure.

Please share your views on the future of China-Mexico communication and exchange.

García：I foresee a stronger bond between Mexico and China. Our bilateral trade and investment figures are growing steadily. China is currently our second trading global partner and in 2015， Mexico surpassed Brazil to become China’s first trading partner in Latin America. According to the Mexican Ministry of Economy， the volume of bilateral trade between Mexico and China in 2015 was $74.87 billion （USD）， an increase of 3.6% from 2014. The expectation is to continue nurturing and developing our ties for the benefit of both nations.