On Monday, the US Trade Representative (USTR) extended an invitation for Mexico to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations.
The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) lauded the invitation. "AISI welcomes the announcement today that Mexico has been invited to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations," AISI President and CEO Thomas J. Gibson said. "North American steel producers share a number of common external trade interests--especially our shared concerns about trade-distorting behavior by state-owned enterprises in Asia. These are critical issues in the TPP negotiations that will affect the competitiveness of our sector for decades to come. Accordingly, AISI has actively supported the requests from the governments of both Mexico and Canada to join the TPP negotiations. We are pleased that Mexico has been given the green light and we hope that Canada will also be invited to join the negotiations very soon. Having both countries' participation in these important trade negotiations will strengthen the already close relationship we have with our neighbors and will enhance the North American steel industry's international competitiveness."