On Tuesday, February 28, 2023, 1 PM, Brookings Institution presented a 2-panel discussion on the successor of NAFTA, USMCA. A short introduction preceded with opening remarks by Brahima S. Coulibaly, Director of the Global Economy and Development at Brookings.
Panel 1 consisted of Joshua Meltzer, Global Economy; Patrick Ottensmeyer, CEO, Kansas City Southern Railroad; Simon Kennedy, Deputy Minister, Science and Economic Development, Canada; Claudia R. Massieu, USMCA Implementation, Mexican Senate; and Jayme White, Deputy US Trade Representative. On Panel 2 were Joshua P. Meltzer, Global Economy; Professor Kevin Kolben, Rutgers Business School; Kenneth Smith, Partner-AGON and Mexico Chief Negotiator of USMCA; Cathy Feingold, Director of International Dept., AFL-CIO; and Sylvia Ortega Salazar, Adviser, National College Professional Technical Education (CONGLEP).
Free Trade Associations have a long history in the region, the Caribbean dating from 1965 founded by Barbados. So, it is expected that the current one for Canada, US and Mexico would be somewhat more advanced yet contain the values of free trade, cooperation, add-on value by offering complimentary items that make the final product worth more; and a way of handling disputes raised by one nation or another's member; training curricula for today's placement in contemporary industries; and even talk of future expansion of the member nations. I found the usual values extolled for free trade, the typical jargon.
What was missing from this very serious discussion of a momentous leap forward into the future for free trade in the hemisphere is recognition of a current new modus operandi of doing manufacturing, viz., the introduction, possibly leading to extensive implementation of AI technology involving the use of robots and the decision-making business conduct of factory production of new items, some involving new ways of doing business. AI technology is just beginning in the manufacturing workplaces; and I was expecting to hear plans for their being part of a training curriculum of today's and tomorrow's workers: whether or not in the factory but certainly encompassing the large and mid-size businesses activities.
I was somewhat involved in the planning of NAFTA; and I could see even before it was implemented that it would not be specifically aimed at attracting worker support. I was hopeful that USMCA would overcome some of its inadequacies. Also, I was looking to have a plan for expansion of the treaty to include Central American countries, sorely lacking integration into regional trade policies spearheaded by Canada and the US. Nor did I find sufficient reference to how the Universities, community colleges and high schools would be upgrading their teaching to include AI concepts, since AI appears to be headed for huge impact into industrialization of the future. In sum, I wondered how this treaty would attract investment capital: nothing seemed new and exciting to its concepts. Specifically, within the panel presentations, AI technology wasn't even mentioned, I don't think.
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