Calderon sees illegal immigration fading as U.S.-Mexico flashpoint

By Tim Devaney
The Washington Times
Tuesday, April 24, 2012



Mexico's President Felipe Calderon speaks at the 2012 CEO Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia, Friday April 13, 2012. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)Mexico’s President Felipe Calderon speaks at the 2012 CEO Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia, Friday April 13, 2012. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Citing new research that shows population flows have basically leveled off between Mexico and the United States, Mexican President Felipe Calderon told U.S. business leaders Tuesday that illegal immigration was fading as a flashpoint of division between the two countries.

“Today, we are tying,” Mr. Calderon said during a speech to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as part of the U.S.–Mexico Leadership Initiative Business Summit. “What that means is today we are reducing migration to the United States.”

The research the Mexican leader cited came from a Pew Hispanic Center study released Monday, which reported a startling shift in tradition patterns of migration north and south of the border. Between 1995 and 2000, 2.9 million Mexicans came north to the United States, while only 670,000 Americans moved south to Mexico. But from 2005 to 2010, nearly 1.4 million people living in the United States relocated to Mexico, met by the same number of Mexicans heading north.

The Mexican president, who was not scheduled to meet with President Obama on his Washington visit, said one reason for the shift was increasing economic opportunities for Mexicans at home coupled with a decline in the attraction of the U.S. economy.

“Actually, a lot of Mexican people are thinking and coming back to our country,” he said. “There is a switching of opportunities. The agricultural sector in the United States is losing a lot competitiveness and opportunities due to restrictions.”

Mr. Calderon also spoke about the importance of trade in the bilateral relationship, and pressed the Obama administration to consider joining an Asia-Pacific trade bloc Mexico has been promoting along with Canada and Japan. The three countries in November asked to join the United States and eight other countries in the region — Australia, New Zealand, Peru, Chile, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei — in talks to form a new “Trans-Pacific Partnership.”

“The world needs more trade, and not less trade,” he said during his speech at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “The world needs more freedom, and not less freedom. We need more investment.”

Mexico’s trade agenda has grown since Mr. Calderon took office in 2006, focusing on trade liberalization, tariff reduction, deregulation, macroeconomic stability, investment in infrastructure and investment in education.

“We are deepening our commitment to free trade,” he said. “We need to remember the benefits of trade. Trade is positive for the economy. Consumers win, workers win, producers win, we all win with trade.”

Trade fueled a 4 percent growth in Mexican GDP in 2011, according to President Calderon, leading to 600,000 new jobs. In 2011, Mexico was responsible for nearly 12 percent of U.S. imports, compared to 6.9 percent in 1993, just before the NAFTA free-trade accord with Canada and the United States was ratified.

“Mexico is winning market share,” he said.

Meanwhile, American companies export more to Mexico than any other country, including Japan and China combined. In 2011, American firms exported about $197 billion to Mexico, while Japan and China combined exported $170 billion, and South and Central American exported about $168 billion.

“We are a more important destination for American products,” he added.


Calderon sees illegal immigration fading as U.S.-Mexico flashpoint - Washington Times