Department of International Cooperation

U.S. President Joseph Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador met in Mexico City on Jan. 10, 2023, for the 10th North American Leaders' Summit.

In their Declaration of North America issued after the gathering, the three leaders vowed to work toward strengthening the region's security, prosperity, sustainability and inclusiveness through commitments across six areas, including 1) diversity, equity, and inclusion; 2) climate change and the environment; 3) competitiveness; 4) migration and development; 5) health; and 6) regional security.

To boost regional competitiveness, the three countries will seek to attract high quality investment, spur innovation, and strengthen the resilience of their economies through their trilateral free trade agreement. In addition, they will forge stronger regional supply chains and promote targeted investment in key future industries such as semiconductors and electric vehicles.

Speaking at the conclusion of the summit, President Lopez Obrador said the three leaders had agreed to enhance their economic, trade and commercial relations. Toward that end, they will create a joint committee aimed at planning and substituting imports in North America in order for the region to become increasingly self-sufficient.

The task force will be made up of four representatives from each country. The Mexican delegates will include the foreign minister, finance secretary, economic secretary, as well as a business leader.

The Mexican president also mentioned that all three governments should work together to deal with migration issues in a more humanitarian way, such as by creating more job opportunities for immigrants. He praised the friendliness of Prime Minister Trudeau's immigration policy. Recently, Canada issued many temporary working visas for foreign workers, and more than 25,000 Mexicans benefited. He also thanked President Biden for respecting hard-working Mexicans and providing them with a stable living environment in the U.S.

In their joint declaration, the three leaders stated that the commitments made during the summit are rooted in a shared vision for a more equitable, just, inclusive, resilient, secure and prosperous North America and a shared responsibility to achieve more equitable outcomes responsive to the needs of all three countries' citizens.

Sources: Economic Division, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Mexico; official website of the Mexican president's office