Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard met today with Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts, who is in the country at the head of a trade mission with the goal of strengthening the relationship with Mexico and creating new investment opportunities. The meeting was also attended by the Undersecretary for North America, Jesús Seade, and the delegation of government officials and business executives from Nebraska.
During the meeting, Secretary Ebrard highlighted the importance of trade between Mexico and Nebraska, which in 2017 exceeded USD 1.7 billion.
Both officials agreed on the importance of pushing for ratification of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), noting that NAFTA has boosted Nebraska's economy, which has grown by 1,289 percent since the treaty entered into force. More than 33,900 jobs in Nebraska depend on trade with Mexico.
In addition, Governor Ricketts expressed his appreciation for the contributions made by the Mexican community to the economy and culture of his state. There are 190,000 Hispanics living in Nebraska, of which 74 percent are of Mexican origin. They contribute about 2.1 billion dollars to the state's GDP.
Secretary Ebrard and Governor Ricketts agreed to continue strengthening the friendship and economic and cultural ties for the mutual benefit of both Mexico and Nebraska.