Building on the 2024 series, the 2025 CBTS Distinguished Speaker series will focus on North American energy, food and agriculture supply chains, public health issues, and highlight findings from recently completed CBTS research projects. In January, CBTS will announce the initial slate of speakers who will join us for the series. The speakers will examine the interconnectedness and integration of US, Canadian, and Mexican economies through the lens of the United States, Mexico and Canada agreement (USMCA), and the effect trade has on our supply chains and economic prosperity.
Scope of the series
Given that the USMCA is up for review in 2026, speakers will consider how that review may shape the future of USMCA. They will also evaluate the approaches the US and our trading partners may follow as they seek to strengthen the agreement. As with any agreement, periodic reviews are critical for evaluating the effectiveness of USMCA, and for ensuring all stakeholders remain actively engaged in the negotiations needed to address lessons learned. Furthermore, during the series speakers will survey the effectiveness of dispute resolution mechanisms that were formalized in the transition from NAFTA to the USMCA. These mechanisms are critical to maintaining investor confidence and ensuring quicker resolutions compared to NAFTA.
Furthermore, the series will also explore China’s influence in Mexico and consider how increased Chinese investment in Mexico could affect USMCA’s goals. Vigilance and collaboration among partners will be keys to the success of the USMCA and to avoiding non-partner efforts to circumvent USMCA’s trade rules. Along these lines, speakers will also look into the potential for regulatory realignments which could enhance trust among partners. In addition, such realignments could also promote legitimate labor mobility which is essential to boosting North American competitiveness and creating resilient supply chains for manufactured goods and food and agricultural markets.
Speakers will provide examples of the importance of USMCA to industries that depend on North American trade for raw materials and assets, intermediate, and final goods. Their talks will emphasize issues specific to food, agricultural, and energy supply chains. In addition, the series will investigate border health issues and their impact on communities along the border. Speakers will examine factors affecting the provision of and access to health care in border communities, and the impact those factors have on public health, communities, and the workforce.
Attending the sessions
As in 2024, the 2025 CBTS Distinguished Speaker series will be hosted by Dr. Tom Long, who examines international relations at the University of Warwick. These talks are virtual and always open to the public. Series event dates will depend on speaker availability, so please check the “Events” tab on the CBTS website (www.cbst.tamu.edu) for current information.