중남미

As the U.S. tightens trade and investment restrictions with respect to China and invests in developing critical sectors such as semiconductors, electric vehicles (EVs), and clean energy, deeper cooperation between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico under the United-States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is needed. The USMCA gives businesses and traders certainty about the economic relationship between the three countries, and the long history of their cooperation should make North America the key economic platform for a more competitive and dynamic economy that is best placed to reduce exposure to Chinese supply chains and compete globally. However, in order for this to happen, USMCA countries need to work together to address the gaps that have opened between U.S. trade and investment restrictions on China and Mexico and Canada’s trade and investment settings. Going forward, the U.S. should coordinate more closely with Canada and Mexico on any new trade and investment restrictions applied to China. The fact is that for the U.S. to effectively de-risk its economic relationship with China, a more coordinated North America approach is required. Failure to build a cohesive North American approach will likely lead to the U.S. adopting a more go-it-alone, less effective approach when it comes to China, and would be a missed opportunity to further strengthen North American economic relations.