Garza: Congress, seize the opportunity on free-trade deals

The long-pending free-trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea may be about to finally appear before Congress for approval. But few things in Washington are certain, so free-trade advocates are advised to take nothing for granted.

These three bilateral trade agreements were negotiated and signed by President George Bush. They all have faced a long period of legislative inaction, in part because of legitimate economic and political concerns, which have now been rectified, but also because of political gamesmanship.

The recent fight over the deficit and debt ceiling has left many observers with severely lowered expectations for this Congress, including diminished hopes for the return of liberalized trade as a centerpiece of the country's economic competitiveness agenda. But some degree of optimism was rekindled in early August when Senate and House leaders announced they had found a "path forward" for the three trade agreements and would take them up after their summer recess.

Now it's a matter of the administration and congressional leaders following through with the kind of bipartisan effort that trade liberalization measures have invariably required.

The rationale for supporting these agreements has always been strong, but in a down economy alongside the kinds of power shifts that are underway in the world - and in our hemisphere - approving them is even more critical. Here are three reasons why.

-- They will benefit the United States economically by boosting exports, generating jobs and enhancing our global competitiveness. Exports have been one of the few bright spots in our economic landscape the last few years. According to one analysis, the export sector contributed 44 percent to the growth of the U.S. economy in 2010. Two-thirds of U.S. exports last year came from the manufacturing sector, which generally pays better wages and generates more jobs than other sectors. Estimates are that the three agreements will increase the size of the U.S. economy by about $15 billion thanks to the removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers that will encourage trade.

-- Without these agreements, the U.S. risks the loss of market share and access to two regions that are critical to our short- and long-term economic interests. And make no mistake, other global competitors are not hesitating to step into the void that our inaction on these trade agreements has created. Witness the Canada-Colombia free-trade deal that went into force in August, leaving U.S. exporters, particularly those in the agricultural sector, at a competitive disadvantage and putting downward pressure on U.S. market share. Consider that July 1, the European Union and South Korea entered into a free-trade pact. In just one month, Europe's exports to Korea increased by 34 percent.

-- The agreements are important to U.S. geopolitical interests and offer an opportunity to reassert our strategic interests in Latin America and in the Asia-Pacific region. Through the agreements, we affirm our commitment to partnership and signal that we intend to remain fully engaged, economically and otherwise, in regions we deem important to our national interests.

These deals are not only good for business and creating jobs, they help strengthen ties we have with important allies and aid in cultivating more democratic institutions and market-based economies at the precise moment that some influences (such as that of Venezuela's Hugo Chavez) may be ebbing and others (such as China's) may be poised to flow in. Summer's nearly over; it's time for Congress to act.

Antonio Garza is the former U.S. ambassador to Mexico and is counsel in the Mexico City office of White & Case and a partner in ViaNovo, a U.S.-based public affairs consultancy. He may be contacted through www.tonygarza.com.

]]> jennifer@tonygarza.com (Jennifer Harris) Mon, 29 Aug 2011 15:04:14 GMT http://tonygarza.com/index.php/en/blog/section-blog-layout/72-press-releases/187-garza-congress-seize-the-opportunity-on-free-trade-deals-.html http://tonygarza.com/index.php/en/blog/section-blog-layout/72-press-releases/186-garza-great-strides-forward-on-mexicos-long-road-ahead.html Great Strides Forward on Mexico’s Long Road Ahead Antonio O. Garza
The Dallas Morning News
July 21, 2011

(AP Photo)

There’s been plenty of armchair quarterbacking in both the U.S. and Mexico regarding President Felipe Calderón’s efforts to address his country’s violence and security issues.

Politicians on both sides of the border frequently speak of cooperation and partnership, yet far too often they engage in less than productive finger pointing and second-guessing. There’s also an unfortunate tendency to gloss over a more thoughtful examination of Mexico’s challenges and progress, opting instead to focus almost exclusively on the violence. And, sadly, there remains some truth to the old expression about media reporting: “If it bleeds, it leads.”

During my tenure as U.S. Ambassador to Mexico and now living and working here in Mexico City, I’ve had a unique opportunity to witness the ongoing efforts that President Calderón through his Secretary of Public Security Genaro García Luna have undertaken to build a civilian police force.

It is a tremendous task that Secretary Luna has chronicled in his recently released book, The New Model of Security for Mexico, a work that details the great strides and hard road ahead for Mexico as it works to forge the necessary institutions and strengthen its rule of law in order to achieve long-term security.

The security reforms and institutional structures being built in these last few years are still very much in their infancy and the country’s earlier economic and electoral reforms are, in many cases, less than two decades old.

At the same time, while the country struggles to implement large-scale change to modernize the police forces and enhance security, Mexico must simultaneously manage threats from a highly dangerous opponent–well organized, deeply entrenched transnational criminal enterprises–with many heads and many facets, akin to a mythic Greek hydra.

In the simplest of terms, the cartels and crime syndicates have had a head start and are formidable foes.

Yet, successful institutional and organizational reforms in Mexico’s security agencies, including the Federal Police, are absolutely vital if the fight against organized crime is going to be won and progress sustained.

For the first time, we’re seeing the introduction and systematic, consistent use of tougher background reviews of the entire Federal Police force and Public Security personnel, utilizing the best practices in training and certification processes used by the U.S. and other nations.

In just the past six years, active forces in the Federal Police have tripled from 10,700 in 2005 to more than 35,000 in 2011. Professionals dedicated to vetting new recruits to the federal police force have also grown from 120 to 1,200 personnel with enhanced training and certification abroad.

The Federal Police, under Secretary Luna, has shifted from the historically low levels of pride and professionalism and high levels of corruption to a reformed career service model with educational requirements, career training, promotion and disciplinary procedures on par with police forces in some of the world’s richest countries.

Political rhetoric and electoral pressures aside, the focus can and must remain on progress and partnership. The advances in institutional and security reforms in Mexico are still in their infancy, and there remains much to do, but the progress is substantial with far-reaching ramifications for both the U.S. and Mexico.

Antonio Garza is the former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico and an Americas Society board member. He serves as counsel in the Mexico City office of legal firm White & Case.]]> jennifer@tonygarza.com (Jennifer Harris) Tue, 26 Jul 2011 19:27:30 GMT http://tonygarza.com/index.php/en/blog/section-blog-layout/72-press-releases/186-garza-great-strides-forward-on-mexicos-long-road-ahead.html http://tonygarza.com/index.php/en/blog/section-blog-layout/72-press-releases/166-garzas-statement-on-appointment-of-gutierrez-to-nadb.html