SAN ANTONIO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Twenty years ago, three world leaders from the United States, Canada and Mexico gathered in San Antonio, Texas to preside over the initialing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), marking the conclusion of negotiations over the most significant trade agreement in recent history. Since then, billions of dollars in trade and investment flows have infused a new level of economic strength into all three countries.
In November, through the symbolic significance of its 20 year anniversary, business and civic leaders will convene in San Antonio at the NAFTA20 North America Business Summit to share outcomes and experiences collected over the past two decades, and to develop a unified vision for the future of North American trade. The goal of the Summit is to bring attention to the importance of NAFTA, stimulate new cross-border partnerships and continue to grow economic benefits for all.
“Since the signing of NAFTA, San Antonio has blossomed into a major center of trade in the 21st century global economy," says San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro. "This summit will honor those who helped forge this critical agreement as well as help stimulate new economic opportunities and partnerships throughout North America."
The NAFTA20 North America Business Summit, presented by Asociación de Empresarios Mexicanos (AEM), North American Development Bank (NADB) and the City of San Antonio, will be held at The Westin La Cantera Resort in San Antonio on Nov. 15 and 16, 2012. Targeted sector dialogues will focus on strategic outlooks for the future of NAFTA as it relates to Energy, Automotive, Bioscience, Healthcare and Aerospace.
NAFTA20 will bring together prominent leaders and thinkers in the region to discuss critical topics affecting international business, including trade relations, faster, safer trade movement across borders, regional competitiveness, and supply chain and logistics.
AEM Chairman, Eduardo Bravo, says this event will help increase business between the countries and highlight San Antonio’s significant role in international trade. “San Antonio is the hub of NAFTA,” says Bravo. “It is a true embodiment of the agreement’s success and significance in regard to international trade relations and serves as a vital center for NAFTA related surface trade and logistics, with Interstate 35—the Pan American Highway—and Interstate 10 providing unparalleled distribution access for every direction in North America.”
Since NAFTA’s official inception in 1994, trade and investment has grown exponentially, with more than $1 billion USD of trade each day between the United States and Mexico alone. “NAFTA played a critical role in redefining and strengthening trade relations within North America, and creating what is now the largest free trade area in the world,” says Gerónimo Gutiérrez, Managing Director, NADB. “Relations between United States, Canada and Mexico today are a testament to how NAFTA has helped shaped the international business landscape in the last twenty years.”
Information for the summit is available on www.nafta20.com.