Last week, a 50-strong delegation including Texas Association of Business (TAB) leadership Massey Villarreal, Rolando Pablos, and Clay Pope, state government officials, and Texas business leaders traveled to Mexico City to engage in crucial discussions about the future of the Texas-Mexico commercial relationship with leaders from the private sector and key stakeholders from our state’s top trading partner.
We are particularly grateful for the all-star bipartisan delegation of Texas lawmakers who joined us on this important mission, including Senator Nathan Johnson (D-Dallas), as well as Representatives Ryan Guillen (R-Rio Grande City), Christian Manuel (D-Beaumont), and Ellen Troxclair (R-Austin). We’d like to give a special thanks to Rep. Claudia Ordaz (D-El Paso), who chaired the planning committee for this delegation trip and has been a great champion for cross-border policy issues impacting Texas. We are also extremely fortunate that James Taylor of the State of Texas Mexico office, Roberto Velasco – Chief Officer for North America at Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Noëlla De Maina – Deputy Director of Trilateral Relations at Global Affairs Canada – were able to participate in last week’s meetings in Mexico City, as their presence further underscored the importance of strengthening Texas’ diplomatic and commercial ties with our top trade partners in North America.
We are particularly grateful for the all-star bipartisan delegation of Texas lawmakers who joined us on this important mission, including Senator Nathan Johnson (D-Dallas), as well as Representatives Ryan Guillen (R-Rio Grande City), Christian Manuel (D-Beaumont), and Ellen Troxclair (R-Austin). We’d like to give a special thanks to Rep. Claudia Ordaz (D-El Paso), who chaired the planning committee for this delegation trip and has been a great champion for cross-border policy issues impacting Texas. We are also extremely fortunate that James Taylor of the State of Texas Mexico office, Roberto Velasco – Chief Officer for North America at Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Noëlla De Maina – Deputy Director of Trilateral Relations at Global Affairs Canada – were able to participate in last week’s meetings in Mexico City, as their presence further underscored the importance of strengthening Texas’ diplomatic and commercial ties with our top trade partners in North America.
As Mexico enters an era of new leadership, this visit was an important opportunity for us to attend the inauguration of Mexico’s new President Claudia Sheinbaum while reaffirming our desire to further expand our economic ties to ensure Texas and Mexico remain the strongest economic engine in North America.
On Monday, we kicked off our activities with a productive working session with Mexico’s Business Coordinating Council (CCE) – Mexico’s Chamber of Commerce – and the American Chamber of Mexico. This meeting was pivotal in coordinating policies and actions between our business organizations and identifying strategic positions with specific solutions. Our discussions focused on designing public policies that will enhance economic growth and competitiveness in the Texas-Mexico region. Last year, TAB signed an important MOU with CCE and other Mexican business organizations, laying the groundwork for the continued collaboration we prioritized during this trip. The day concluded with a dinner alongside leadership from the American Chamber and CCE, including CCE Director General Jorge Juraidini.
Tuesday began with an insightful meeting centered on manufacturing and supply chains – a crucial topic given the importance of these sectors when it comes to maintaining strong economic ties between Texas and Mexico. This session – hosted by Mexican auto parts manufacturer Rassini, which has a presence in the U.S. – provided valuable insights into how we can optimize our shared manufacturing capabilities and streamline our supply chains for mutual benefit. We are deeply appreciative that Rassini CEO Eugenio Madero received our delegation opened their doors on the presidential inauguration day for this important conversation about the future of the North American manufacturing landscape.
Following our supply chain discussion, we were fortunate to receive a brilliant lunch briefing on Mexico's political landscape from the Hall of Fame former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Tony Garza, alongside officials from Texas A&M's Texas Transportation Institute (TTI). Their expertise offered a comprehensive view of the current political climate in Mexico and its potential implications for our bilateral relations.
On Tuesday afternoon, we had the privilege of attending a terrace reception overlooking the Zocalo and hosted by GrinGO, the historic swearing-in ceremony of Dr. Claudia Sheinbaum as the first woman to serve as President of Mexico. This momentous occasion not only marked a significant milestone in the nation’s history, but also heralded a new era for Texas-Mexico relations. As Dr. Sheinbaum assumes office, TAB wishes her success over the next six years and is committed to strengthening our relationship with our top trading partner. We look forward to seizing opportunities to further build upon our longstanding economic partnership and explore new avenues for mutual growth and continued bilateral collaboration.
And, to cap it all off, we had a great time at Lucha Libre later that evening!
To keep the momentum going after an exciting Tuesday, we started Wednesday off strong with the US-MX Business Association (AEM). We are proud to continue fostering a close, harmonious, and proactive working relationship with the nation’s top private sector leaders as well as leaders from all levels of government. Following our productive breakfast meeting, we were honored to tour the Mexican Senate Floor and meet with Senator Cynthia López Castro and other local officials.
On Wednesday, we were also pleased to join a roundtable with Mexico City’s Economic Development Secretary Manola Zabalza Aldama, during which we discussed key concepts for integration between Mexico City and Texas. We also met with leading member of Mexican congress, Congressman Antonio Pérez, who has strong ties and interests in expanding Texas-Mexico relationship.
Later on Wednesday, Carlos Garcia, Director General of Valero Mexico hosted our delegation for a meeting on energy where we focused on policy that only enhances the backbone of Texas’ economy, oil and gas. While Valero is a San Antonio, Texas-based Fortune 24 company, their presence in Mexico is powerful. Valero Energy Corporation, through its subsidiaries, is an international manufacturer and supplier of fuels and petrochemicals with the capacity to process more than 3.1 million barrels of feedstock daily.
We ended our day with a dinner celebrating the 20th anniversary of the U.S. Mexico Foundation, kicking off the beginning of the North Capital Forum (NCF). We advocated for the need of U.S. cities and municipal leaders to strengthen their engagement in support of the U.S.-Mexico relationship ahead of the forthcoming review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
On Thursday, as part of the ongoing NCF activities, we focused on understanding North America's main challenges and creating mutually beneficial solutions. During an important TAB GovLab Roundtable hosted by TAB and facilitated by Julia Muzquiz, I was proud to moderate our ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ discussion with State Senator Nathan Johnson of Dallas, State Representative Claudia Ordaz of El Paso, and IBC Bank’s Gerry Schwebel about the future of Texas-Mexico integration. With North America leading as the world’s most prosperous trading bloc, it is incumbent upon Texas to work closely with our top trading partners – Mexico and Canada, respectively – to keep our powerful economic engine humming as the USMCA approaches its six-year review in 2026.
Additionally, our team was thrilled to participate in the Hunt Institute panel, "Life in the Fast Lane: Strategies for Effective Border Management and Collaboration," which focused on ways to increase cross-border trade.
Following the Texas Hold ‘Em roundtable, I participated in a panel on labor mobility through the USMCA, moderated by Arturo Canales of the National Immigration Forum. It was deeply encouraging to speak alongside outstanding advocates who want to see the Texas-Mexico economic relationship flourish and make North America a global model for labor mobility.
Finally, we wrapped up our Mexico City Mission with the Texas Venture Fest. TAB – in partnership with the Texas Venture Alliance (TVA) – recently launched the TAB Scale-Up Coalition, a strategic initiative designed to accelerate collaboration, innovation, and economic growth among startups, entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists in Texas and around the world. We were honored to be joined by outstanding public officials – including Brownsville Mayor John Cowen – as well as private sector leaders committed to advancing opportunities for entrepreneurs to succeed and thrive in the North American economic ecosystem.
TAB’s Mexico City mission was a fantastic success, having produced constructive dialogue on the future of relationships between leaders in Texas and Mexico who are working to supercharge North America’s economic engine to drive prosperity for communities on both sides of the border for generations to come. We extend the deepest appreciation to all of our partners, including: Enrique Perret Erhard, José Manuel Bulas Montoro, Pedro Casas Alatriste L, Sara Morales, Fernanda Avendaño Meouchi, Nuria Sauer, Karen Andrea Lazcano, Wendy Sarimento, and Guillermo Bernal.
We are confident that the relationships we are continuing to build with Mexico’s business community will pay dividends as we move forward and explore new avenues for collaboration and integration with our #1 trade partner.
- Glenn Hamer, TAB President & CEO
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