On Wednesday, March 13th, the Washington International Trade Association (WITA) in collaboration with the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) cohosted a webinar to explore the trends and policy implications for investment into the Mexican automotive sector by Chinese and other foreign firms. These investments are, in part, a response to U.S. trade policies, specifically the China tariffs and the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA), but also the tax provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act, and the Biden Administration’s efforts to shorten supply chains and bring more manufacturing to North America.

Moderated by Wendy Cutler, ASPI's Vice President and Managing Director, the event featured insights from Governor Matt Blunt, President of the American Automotive Policy Council; Michael Dunne, CEO of ZoZoGo and author of the forthcoming book "Humiliation No More: China’s Master Plan to Dominate Electric Car Markets Worldwide"; Ilaria Mazzocco, Senior Fellow at the Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies; Scott Paul, President of the Alliance for American Manufacturing and co-author of the paper, "Why Chinese Autos Could Be an 'Extinction-Level Event' for America’s Auto Industry"; and Kenneth Smith Ramos, Partner at Agon and the former lead Mexican negotiator of the USMCA.

This discussion offered attendees multifaceted insights into the current state and future prospects of the Mexican automotive sector amidst evolving global trade landscapes and policy shifts, providing valuable insights for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and the broader public.