Foreign Secretary Luis Videgaray met today with Texas Governor Greg Abbott to discuss the important trade relationship between Mexico and Texas and the importance of the Mexican community for Texas' social and economic development.
At the meeting, Foreign Secretary Videgaray discussed with Governor Abbott the importance of working together to stop the illegal trafficking of arms and money from the United States to Mexico, and expressed his appreciation for the governor's support for the process of modernizing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), given the agreement's value for Texas' economy.
"Texas' support for the process of updating the trade agreement is clear. This is due to Governor Abbot's leadership and we thank him for the hard work on behalf of his great state and for strengthening the relationship between Mexico and Texas, and with the rest of the United States," said the Foreign Secretary.
"Anyone who doubts NAFTA's benefits, not for Mexico or Canada, but for the United States, is invited to come to Texas and talk to the people here, with its governor, its mayors and its business community in order to understand why the Free Trade Agreement is of great benefit for this great state," he said, stating: "Everything is big in Texas, including trade with Mexico."
The Foreign Secretary also gave this message to Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, while highlighting the positive impact of the Mexican companies based in metropolitan Dallas.
The two officials discussed the consolidation of the strategic partnership between Mexico and Dallas with trade and reciprocal investment, and they explored new opportunities in areas with great growth potential, especially energy and tourism.
The Foreign Secretary thanked Mayor Rawlings for supporting the Mexican community in Dallas and for the initiatives taken to help integrate the immigrants by creating the Office of Welcoming Communities and Immigrant Affairs.
Foreign Secretary Videgaray then took part in the inauguration of a pasta processing plant in Cleburne, Texas that is owned by a Mexican company, La Moderna. He said that the opening of the plant was a proud moment for Mexicans and an example of what a Mexican firm can do abroad thanks to open trade.
The Foreign Secretary underscored the growing role of Mexican companies in Texas. There are currently more than 1,000, and they create about 20,000 direct jobs a year in the state.
He stressed the benefits of bilateral trade between Mexico and the United States for both nations' prosperity and economic development. "At the end of the day, what we want on both sides of the border are good jobs: good jobs in Texas and good jobs in Mexico," said Secretary Videgaray.
The Foreign Secretary's trip to Texas helped strengthen Mexico's role as a strategic commercial partner for the state. Mexico is Texas' top trading partner, with bilateral trade exceeding USD 187 billion in 2017. Thirty percent of Texas' population is of Mexican background, of which 2.5 million were born in Mexico.