Mexico’s foreign minister urges improved trade relations in visit to Nevada

The Mexican government isn’t interested in building a wall across the U.S. border, but it would like to see the two countries’ trade relationship expand.

Mexican Minister of Foreign Affairs Claudia Ruiz Massieu Salinas visited the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Wednesday to discuss the countries’ “intense, multidimensional, strategic relationship.”

It’s the first time a Mexican foreign minister has visited Nevada, and it’s part of a U.S. tour to engage Americans in conversations about Mexico and improve trade relationships with the states, she said.

“There’s a lot of misinformation and a lack of knowledge about the nature of the bilateral relationship, the depth and breadth of the Mexican and Mexican-American community’s contributions to the United States and of Mexico in general,” Ruiz Massieu said.

Nevada has an extensive partnership with Mexico. Bilateral trade accounted for $924 million in 2015, and Mexico is the state’s fourth largest market for exports. Mexican goods account for 5 percent of Nevada’s imports and $476 million, making it the state’s fourth-largest supplier. There are 55,000 jobs in Nevada that depend on trade with Mexico.

“We are fairly important here, but still trade-wise we do not trade as much as we should,” she said. “It’s not nearly enough considering how close we are.”

Ruiz Massieu treads lightly when talking about the U.S. presidential race, but she said the Mexican government thinks a wall on the border would be a bad idea because “we have such an integrated economy.”

Take the automobile industry: Many car parts are made in Mexico, even for American cars, and parts will often cross the border eight times before a car is finished.

The Mexican government also would like to see a more permanent solution to U.S. immigration issues. Ruiz Massieu said there are 35 million people of Mexican descent in the U.S., and many of the roughly 6 million Mexicans here “irregularly” are dreamers — people brought to the U.S. as children.

“They are young men and women that have made the United States their home,” she said. “They embody a lot of talent and creativity and productivity and a will to succeed that reflects the best things from both countries. We would like to see them have more certainty about their future. … I think it would be in both of our countries’ interests to move forward with this.”

Putting American campaign issues aside, Ruiz Massieu said Mexico wants to continue to partner with the U.S. to make North America the most competitive and prosperous region on the globe.

“We will do that past November with the United States government, regardless of whose party wins the election,” she said.

Contact Wesley Juhl at wjuhl@reviewjournal.com and 702-383-0391. Find @WesJuhl on Twitter.