Tatiana Clouthierowner of the Ministry of Economy (SE), reported that between August 14 and 19 consultations with the US and Canada will begin for the alleged violation of the energy policy of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in the framework of the Free Trade Agreement between the three countries (T-MEC).
In interview with Joaquin Lopez-Doriga for your space Radio FormulaClouthier Carrillo pointed out that first there will be the consultation stage to try to resolve the differences before moving on to the panel stage.
“They intend to review (the claim) through a consultation, which can last up to 75 days; if we advance in agreement, we walk. And this has to happen in the first 30 days from the date of claim for putting it, ”he said.
We are right now setting a date between August 14 and 19 so that we are within 30 days. We want the parties to be able to sit down all together at the same time to facilitate the progress of the consultation. They will come to the country to start the consultation”, he pointed out.
Clouthier Carrillo pointed out that this stage of consultations can last up to 75 days, in case the negotiations do not advance, it would go to the panel process where
“If we manage to start reaching agreements, what happens is that we can mutually extend the time of the consultation. If they do not see progress, by October 3 more or less they would have the right to initiate a contentious process, the famous panel, where we would have up to six or seven months to resolve it through this mechanism, “he explained.
In the panel, the decision is final (…) What happens if someone loses a panel? If it is lost, you presume your damage and then you compensate yourself, and that is where the issue of tariffs comes in, ”he said.
The Government of Mexico is already preparing the strategy that it will present in the consultations requested by the United States and Canada, its main trading partners, within the T-MEC for the questioned energy policy of President López Obrador.
The main complaint of the North American governments focuses on their concerns about the favoritism that the Mexican Government gives to Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) and the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), mainly due to the denial of new permits and the most recent reform to the laws on electricity.
President López Obrador asserted the last july 28 that his Government will not cede “sovereignty” or “independence” of the country in the midst of said commercial conflict, although it has made it clear that it will not leave said treaty.
With information from López-Dóriga Digital