Fifth Annual Building a Competitive U.S.-Mexico Border Conference

The Wilson Center's Mexico Institute and the Border Trade Alliance invite you to our fifth annual high-level "Building a Competitive U.S.-Mexico Border" conference, which will focus on improving border management in order to strenghten the competitiveness of both the United States and Mexico. Specific emphasis will be placed on a cooperative bilateral framework, NAFTA, binational economic development, and the need for efforts that simultaneously support security and efficiency in border management.

Agenda

8:30-8:45am Registration

8:45-9:00am Welcome

Christopher Wilson, Deputy Director, Mexico Institute, Wilson Center

9:00-9:55am Representing the Border Region
Congressman Lou Correa, CA-46
Representative Will Hurd, TX-23
Representative Henry Cuellar, TX-28
Moderator: Duncan Wood, Director, Mexico Institute, Wilson Center

9:55-10:15am U.S.-Mexico Collaboration in Border Management
Ambassador José Antonio Zabalgoitia, Deputy Chief of Mission, Mexican Embassy in Washington 
Introduction: Christopher Wilson, Deputy Director, Mexico Institute, Wilson Center

10:15-10:30am Coffee Break

10:30am-12:00pm NAFTA and the Border: How would an updated NAFTA affect cross-border trade?
José Antonio Vidales, Director, Grupo 365, Former President of CAAAREM, the Mexican Confederation of Associations of Customs Agents
José Martin García, Representative of the Mexican Finance Ministry and Customs Administration at the Mexican Embassy in Washington, DC
Bernardo Ayala, Vice President, Mexico, Union Pacific Railroad
Maria Luisa Boyce, Director, Global Public Affairs, UPS
Moderator: Paola Avila, Vice President, International Business Affairs, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce

12:15-1:30pm Lunch: Developing New Tools for Secure and Competitive Borders
Commissioner Kevin McAleenan, U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Introduction: Ambassador Earl Anthony Wayne, Co-Chair, Mexico Institute Advisory Board, Wilson Center

1:40-2:45pm The Future of Port of Entry Design and Management
Ben Rohrbaugh, BorderWorks Advisor, Belfer Center, Harvard
Stan Korosec, Director of Security and Canadian Government Relations, Detroit International Bridge Company
Allen Gina, Partner and Co-Founder, CT Strategies
Erik Lee, Executive Director, North American Research Partnership}
Moderator: Gustavo de la Fuente, Executive Director, Smart Border Coalition

2:45-3:45pm Evolving Threats and Responses: Border Security in the 21st Century
Christopher Wilson, Deputy Director, Mexico Institute, Wilson Center
Alan Bersin, Former Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security; Global Fellow, Mexico Institute, Wilson Center
Theresa Cardinal Brown, Director of Immigration and Cross-Border Policy, Bipartisan Policy Center 
Bryan Roberts, Research Economist, Institute for Defense Analyses

3:45-4:00pm Closing Remarks
Britton Clarke, President, Border Trade Alliance
Christopher Wilson, Deputy Director, Mexico Institute, Wilson Center 

Thanks to our Partners