The U.S.-Mexico Relationship Runs Deeper Than You Think
A fact sheet provided by the Department of State highlighted various economic accomplishments between the United States and Mexico
On Friday, the Department of State released a fact sheet titled, “2024 U.S.-Mexico High-Level Economic Dialogue Mid-Year Review” highlighting various economic accomplishments between the two countries. The report summarized a virtual meeting between government officials from the U.S. and Mexico on April 19, 2024. The summary spoke to the intricacies of the relationship and just how much both countries' economies depend on each other.
“The United States and Mexico share a powerful economic and commercial partnership that continues to grow,” reads the fact sheet. “Mexico was the United States’ top trading partner in 2023 with total two-way goods trade at $799 billion. Our countries rely on closely integrated supply chains to power our economies and strengthen our global competitiveness.”
While the report debunks the myth that the U.S. can just, ‘close the border’ with Mexico, the reality as shown in the report is that it is simply not an option. Not only do communities on both sides of the border depend on each other, as any member of a border community will tell you, but entire industries do too. And yet, the U.S.’s relationship with Mexico still goes deeper.
The report also included a section titled “Improving Border Conditions to Facilitate Travel and Trade.” The section provides insight into Mexico’s efforts in facilitating the declining number of encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border. As the growing sentiment in Mexico is one of, ‘we’re not going to take the United States’s shit anymore,’ the complexities of U.S.-Mexico ties are deeper than ever and certainly not as simple as many Republicans make it out to be.
“The United States and Mexico continue to improve and expand border infrastructure, and to coordinate these activities through our bilateral border coordination mechanisms, including the Western Regional Binational Bridges and Border Crossing Group (BBBXG) in October 2023, and the January 2024, 21st Century Border Executive Steering Committee, and the Eastern Regional BBBXG meeting in March 2024,” reads the fact sheet. “ All meetings supported bilateral efforts to increase secure, licit trade flows across our shared border.
The fact sheet continued, “Recent accomplishments include the modernization and expansion of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry (POE) in January 2024; the completion of the enhanced feasibility study for the modernization and expansion of the Bridge of the Americas POE in November 2023; the completion of the Program Development Study on the BIL-funded Brownsville Gateway project; and the start of southbound transit of empty commercial vehicles at the Donna POE.”
What this means–aside from Republicans being full of shit–is that U.S. citizens have a clear lack of understanding about international affairs, even when it’s with our closest and largest trading partner and ally. The main reason for this on one hand, is media bias (the relentless positive coverage of the U.K. and Europe compared to the negative ‘third-world’ coverage of Latin America and other nations) while on the other hand, it’s driven by social and racial biases that have been present since the country’s founding.
This article is not only meant to debunk false narratives that carry no weight. It is also meant to inform others so we can start having a rational discussion based on the full context instead of the surface-level reporting we have been subjected to about manufactured ‘crises’ at the border. It is an election year after all and we should all expect to be lied to about immigration, crime, and many other social issues. Especially if it’s coming from Republicans.
Some additional pointers in State’s press release:
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) expects to conclude feasibility studies for the Santa Teresa POE in April 2024 and the Nogales DeConcini POE in October 2024.
The United States signed a memorandum of understanding allowing project sponsors to move forward with the 30 percent design of the Otay Mesa East POE.
GSA expects to complete the Environmental Impact Statement regarding a new commercial crossing at the Douglas Agua Prieta POE in May 2024, with the project design-build process starting summer of 2024.
Mexico’s Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA) reports a progress of almost 60% on the Mexican side of the construction of the new border crossing at Otay Mesa II. It is expected to be completed by September 21, 2024.
Regarding Piedras Negras-Eagle Pass II, SEDENA reports a progress of 44% and expects to complete works by June 7, 2024.
The Mexican National Customs Agency (ANAM) has concluded the necessary equipment installation to allow the crossing of empty cargo vehicles at the Rio Bravo-Donna International Bridge.
Mexico’s Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications, and Transportation (SICT) expects to conclude the construction on the Mexican side for the second span of the Nuevo Amanecer (Reynosa)-Pharr International Bridge by October 2024.
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