EFTA and Mexico hold first round of negotiations on a review of the EFTA-Mexico Free Trade Agreement

Mr Didier Chambovey, Ambassador and Delegate of the Federal Council for Trade Agreements from Switzerland, acted as the EFTA Spokesperson, while the Mexican delegation was headed by Mr Francisco de Rosenzweig Mendialdua, Undersecretary of Foreign Trade from the Ministry of Economy, and Cesar Guerra Guerrero, Minister Representative of the Ministry of Economy to the EU.

 

A Joint Declaration, launching the negotiations, was signed on 22 January 2016 in Davos, Switzerland, by the EFTA Ministers and the Minister of Economy of Mexico, Mr. Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal. Based on the Joint Declaration, which endorses the General Framework for Review of the Free Trade Agreement between the United Mexican States and the EFTA States, Delegations discussed their approaches, interests and sensitivities in all the areas under discussion in the review process, as well as the way forward in the negotiations. 

 

The second round of negotiations is foreseen to take place in Mexico in early autumn 2016.

 

Merchandise trade between the EFTA States and Mexico reached USD 3.6 billion in 2015. EFTA's top exports to Mexico included pharmaceutical products; machinery and mechanical appliances; clocks and watches; and organic chemicals. EFTA imports mainly consisted of precious metals; pharmaceutical products; and mineral fuels and oil.