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2008/SOM3/011anx1

Agenda Item: IV

Moderator’s Closing Remarks

Purpose: Consideration

Submitted by: APEC Secretariat

/ Third Senior Officials’ MeetingLima, Peru
22-23 August 2008

IAP Peer Review

Mexico, 2008

(Moderator’s Closing Remarks)

First I would like to thank all participants for your contribution to today’s IAP Peer Review Session on Mexico.

I would like to express my gratitude to our independent experts, Dr Sangkyom Kim and Professor Simon SC Tay, for their dedicated efforts toward the comprehensive IAP study report, and also I would like to thank Mr. Roberto Zapata from Mexico and his team for their efforts to respond all questions. The questions are very diverse and detailed therefore you could not respond to all of them immediately, and I thank you in advance for addressing these in due course, together with some additional questions which we have received in writing.

I would also like to thank Ms. Susan Coles, Program Director for this Review Session, from the APEC Secretariat.

Back in 1994, APEC economies agreed on a vision, the Bogor Goals, to reach a point by 2010 or 2020 of ‘free and open trade and investment’.

Today’s review has confirmed that since joining APEC in 1993, Mexico has made efforts to broaden its approach to trade and investment liberalization to meet the Bogor Goals and achieve free and open trade and investment. We found Mexico to have made particularly dedicated efforts in the areas of tariffs, services, standards and conformance and government procurement. For the further step to accelerate its process, the study report, today’s discussion and written comments offered some practical suggestions:

·  While trade with non-FTA partners has increased, Mexico does need to reassess its trade policy so as to reduce discrimination and distortion for economies that do not have preferential agreement.

·  In the area of Competition policy, measures to increase domestic competition to facilitate transparent and open trade and investment should be implemented.

·  In addition to enacting the laws and administrative procedures, there is a need to make Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) work at the level of implementation. Further measures should be taken to act against goods that violate IPR.

·  The role of federal and local governments for inviting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) should be clarified.

·  More clarity, transparency and coherence will be needed in customs and procurement procedures and the tax system.

These are points highlighted not only in today’s discussions but also in the study reports by experts and some comments that we have received so far.

We again commend Mexico on its recent performance and expect Mexico to continue its active commitment towards achieving its Bogor goals. I believe today’s peer review session has confirmed Mexico’s progress and identified further steps to meet its commitment to the Bogor goals by 2020, or even 2010 if Mexico is ready.

Once again, I appreciate all the contributions toward making the session a success today.