Protectionism would hurt the U.S. economy, Mexican finance minister says

12/10/2016 12:00 - 574 Views

WASHINGTON—Mexican Finance Minister José Antonio Meade warned in an interview Saturday that adopting protectionist measures would hurt both the U.S. and Mexican economies.

The recent rise of antitrade political forces around the world, particularly in the U.S. where Donald Trump won the Republican presidential nomination on a protectionist platform, has worried finance ministers and central bankers assembled here for the fall meetings of the International Monetary Fund.

That concern is particularly acute in Mexico, where exports account for about 35% of the economy. Mr. Trump has threatened to pull the U.S. out of the North American Free Trade Agreement if elected, ending a 22-year-old trade pact that has helped open up the Mexican economy.

“Mexico is integral to the North American story,” Mr. Meade said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal on the sidelines of the meetings. Imposing trade restrictions in the U.S. “would not be consistent with strengthening either of our economies.”

U.S.-Mexico trade has evolved significantly since the early days of Nafta, Mr. Meade said. Rather than trading finished goods, North American countries now move products across borders multiple times before they are ready for their final sale.

“Every time Mexico exports a dollar, 40 cents of it comes out of goods produced within the U.S.,” he said.
 
Source: marketwatch.com
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