Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
Mexico City, October 16 (Xinhua) — Mexico's future depends on reducing its economic and political dependence on the United States, a relationship that has long constrained the country's sovereignty, Jaime Tamayo, an international relations researcher at the University of Guadalajara, told Xinhua in a recent exclusive interview.
"To maintain a significant degree of sovereignty, Mexico must begin to shed this dependence. The restrictions imposed by these [relations] must become increasingly unacceptable," he said.
According to J. Tamayo, Mexico's main challenge is to overcome an economic model based on subordination to its northern neighbor. The scholar warned that domestic or foreign policy concessions to please Washington only deepen this dependence.
"Mexico needs to turn to the rest of the world, even if this transition will be economically difficult at first," he noted.
The expert added that over 80 percent of Mexican exports go to the United States, creating a vicious cycle that strengthens Washington's dominance with each new concession. "The United States effectively decides who we can cooperate with, even within the limited market space remaining for Mexico," he said.
J. Tamayo noted that Mexico's entry into the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994 led to deindustrialization and a weakening of national production.
"Industries like textiles and home appliance manufacturing have disappeared. We've largely become a maquiladora country," he noted, referring to low-wage factories that assemble imported components. As a result, many former manufacturers have become importers of American goods. "The damage has been profound, changing Mexico's very economic structure," the expert added.
J. Tamayo emphasized the importance of internal strengthening to change the situation, starting with self-sufficiency. "Food sovereignty is key, but economic diversification is also essential," he explained.
Although Mexico has signed numerous trade agreements, most are not fully utilized, leaving its economy tied to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which replaced NAFTA in July 2020. "Mexico needs to revive its multilateral trade strategy," he noted.
J. Tamayo also called for greater participation in new cooperation platforms such as BRICS, emphasizing that Mexico must pursue a more multilateral and sovereign foreign policy in line with the new global balance of power.
“Mexico must resist external pressure and open up to a truly multilateral trading model—not only to counter the unipolar world order, but also to strengthen its own economic autonomy,” the expert concluded.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.