Mexico and the European Free Trade Association to update free trade agreement

Gobierno mexicano | 22 January 2016

Mexico and the European Free Trade Association to update free trade agreement

During the World Economic Forum, President Enrique Peña Nieto and his counterpart from the Swiss Federation, Johann Schneider Ammann, witnessed the signing of the Joint Declaration on the Launch of Negotiations for the Review.

 In addition to the Swiss President and Secretary of Economy Ildefonso Guajardo, the
representatives of Norway, Iceland and the Liechtenstein, which comprise the European Free Trade Agreement (EFTA), also signed the document.

 The parties agreed that negotiations will be concluded quickly and efficiently

During his participation in the World Economic Forum in Davos, President Enrique Peña Nieto held a meeting today with President of the Swiss Confederation Johann Schneider Ammann, with whom he witnessed the signing of the Joint Declaration on the Launch of Negotiations for the Review of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Mexico and the Member States of EFTA.

The president of Mexico and his Swiss counterpart, as well as the representatives of Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, who signed the document together with Mexican Secretary of Economy, Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal, expressed their decision to update the Free Trade Agreement and agreed that negotiations will be conducted quickly and efficiently.

The aim, said Ildefonso Guajardo, is to achieve an FTA in keeping with the 21st century between Mexico and the EFTA states.

The FTA between Mexico and EFTA was signed on 27 November 2000 and entered into force on July 2001, while the General Framework for the Revision of the Treaty was concluded on October 28, 2015.

The document, signed by the parties today, establishes the terms for the negotiations to update and expand the FTA between Mexico and the EFTA.

The representatives of EFTA and Mexico highlighted the successful functioning of the FTA and its important contribution to increasing trade and investment between both parties. “I’m sure we can do an even better job,” declared Secretary of Economy Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal.

The review of the FTA is designed to expand the access of Mexican agricultural products to EFTA states; eliminate, reduce or prevent unnecessary non-tariff barriers, update the chapters already included in the FTA and incorporate new issues.

Issues that will eventually be included include trade facilitation, regulatory coherence, SMEs and energy cooperation.

In addition, both parties seek to strengthen investment flows by updating and modernizing their TLC.

The Joint Declaration on the Launch of Negotiations for the Review of the Free Trade Agreement between Mexico and the EFTA States was signed by Secretary of Economy Ildefonso Guajardo; President of the Swiss Confederation Johann Schneider Ammann; Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway Borge Brende; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Education and Culture of Liechtenstein Aurelia Frick, and Permanent Representative of Iceland to the United Nations Martin Eyjolfsson.

During the meeting President Enrique Pena Nieto held with President of the Swiss Confederation Johann Schneider Ammann, the two leaders agreed to promote the exchange of best practices in dual education.

They also agreed that negotiations for updating the FTA between Mexico and EFTA should be conducted quickly and efficiently, in order to contribute to greater economic and commercial exchanges between the two parties.

source : Gobierno de México

Printed from: https://www.bilaterals.org/./?mexico-and-the-european-free-trade