Mexico

The United States Certifies Mexico’s Shrimp Imports

AICC Business, Home, Mexico, News and Press, Trade

The Department of State notified Congress on October 21, 2021 of the certification of Mexico under Section 609 of United States Public Law 101-162 (“Section 609”). Section 609 prohibits the import of shrimp and shrimp products harvested in ways that may adversely affect sea turtle species. This certification, allowing again for importation of wild-caught shrimp into the United States from Mexico pursuant to Section 609, is based on a determination that Mexico’s turtle excluder devices (TEDs) program is again comparable in effectiveness to the U.S. program.

The United States and Mexico have been working in close cooperation on sea turtle conservation as well as a range of bilateral fisheries and marine conservation issues.  The Government of Mexico implemented a plan of action in the past several months to strengthen sea turtle conservation in its shrimp trawl fisheries, resulting in significantly improved use of TEDs by its fishing industry, as verified by a team of representatives from the State Department and National Marine Fisheries Service.

The U.S. government is currently providing technology and capacity-building assistance to other nations to contribute to the recovery of sea turtle species and help them receive certification under Section 609. When properly designed, built, installed, used, and maintained, TEDs allow 97 percent of sea turtles to escape the shrimp net without appreciable loss of shrimp. The U.S. government also encourages legislation in other countries to prevent the importation of shrimp harvested in a manner harmful to protected sea turtles.

Gina M. Raimondo Co-chairs U.S.-Mexico High Level Economic Dialogue

AICC Business, Export, Home, Mexico, News and Press, Trade, USA

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo issued the following statement regarding the first session of the relaunched U.S.-Mexico High-Level Economic Dialogue, which was held today at the White House.

“Today, I was honored to co-chair the first U.S.-Mexico High-Level Economic Dialogue that Presidents Biden and López Obrador agreed to relaunch in March 2021. I am grateful to have been joined by Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, USAID Administrator Samantha Power and Ambassador Kenneth Salazar, as well as our colleagues from Mexico, Secretary of Foreign Affairs Marcelo Ebrard, Secretary of Economy Tatiana Clouthier, and Ambassador Esteban Moctezuma Barragán.”

“Mexico is a critical strategic ally and partner of the United States and is a top destination for U.S. exports. As neighbors, it is imperative that we leverage our partnership to build back from the pandemic together and advance shared economic and commercial goals, such as promoting inclusive trade and investment and strengthening regional supply chains.”

“The conversation that began today is the first step towards realizing these goals. We have agreed to the four pillars that will guide our discussion: Building Back Together; Promoting Sustainable Economic and Social Development in Southern Mexico and Central America; Securing the Tools for Future Prosperity; and Investing in Our People. While there is still much to do, I look forward to working to ensure that the U.S.-Mexico economic and commercial relationship builds on its strong foundation to bring shared prosperity and security to our peoples.”