On June 15, 2018, the U.S. Department of Commerce hosted the fourth meeting of the U.S.-Mexico Energy Business Council. The purpose of the meeting, which was attended by government officials from both nations, as well as private sector members, was to discuss ways to enhance bilateral trade within the energy sector of the two countries.
Government representatives shared several examples of binational cooperation:
- The U.S. Department of the Interior and the Mexican Agency for Safety, Energy, and Environment are collaborating on common approaches to safety and environmental oversight;
- The Department of Energy, State, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) are looking at process improvements in the review of permit applications for infrastructure projects;
- The North American Electricity Reliability Corporation (NERC), Mexico’s Energy Regulatory Commission, and its National Center for Energy Control, agreed to enhance the reliability and security of interconnected power systems between the United States and Mexico;
- Parties are discussing NERC’s Critical Infrastructure Protection standards in cybersecurity;
- The members of the North American Development Bank Board continue working together to explore how they can best support economically impactful projects that aid communities along both sides of the border;
- Mexico’s Ministry of Energy and the National Chamber of Science and Technology are developing programs to train welders and operators in petrochemical and gas processes.
The next meeting of the Council is expected to occur in Mexico City sometime in late 2018.
The International Trade Administration press release may be found here:
