When

Mon, Apr. 07, 2014
7:30 am - 2 pm
(GMT-05:00) America/Chicago

Where

James A. Baker III Hall

Twenty years after the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) took effect, its signatories — the United States, Mexico and Canada — form the largest trading bloc in the world. What is the future of NAFTA and how have its strengths or shortcomings impacted investment and trade in the region? These issues and more were examined on April 7 at the inaugural conference of the Baker Institute’s Mexico Center. Three of the principal negotiators of the agreement led the discussion: Carla A. Hills (United States), Jaime Serra Puche (Mexico) and Michael Wilson (Canada). The Honorable James A. Baker, III, who served as U.S. secretary of state during the landmark negotiations, also delivered remarks.

Additional support for this event was generously provided by the Consulate General of Canada in Dallas and the Consulate General of Mexico in Houston.

Scroll to the bottom of the page for links to videos of the event; click on "slides" in the agenda to view the speakers' PowerPoint presentations.

 

Agenda

7:30 am     
Registration and Breakfast
8:30 am     
Welcome

The Honorable Edward P. Djerejian
Founding Director, Rice University's Baker Institute

 8:35 am     
Panel I — NAFTA After 20 Years

Moderator: Luis Rubio, Ph.D. 
President, Center of Research for Development (CIDAC); and Nonresident Fellow, Mexico Center

Jaime Serra Puche, Ph.D. (slides)
Chairman, SAI Derecho y Economía

Carla A. Hills 
Chair and CEO, Hills & Company International Consultants

Michael Wilson 
Chairman, Barclays Capital Canada Inc.

10:00 am     
Keynote Address

The Honorable James A. Baker, III
Honorary Chair, Rice University's Baker Institute

10:20 am     
Break 
10:30 am     
Panel II — Assessing NAFTA and Charting Its Future

Moderator: Tony Payán, Ph.D.
Fellow in Mexico Studies and Director, Mexico Center, Rice University’s Baker Institute

Daniel Lederman, Ph.D. (slides)
Deputy Chief Economist for Latin America and the Caribbean, World Bank

Patricia Hansen
Professor, The University of Texas School of Law

Timothy Kehoe, Ph.D. (slides)
Professor, Department of Economics, University of Minnesota

 11:45 am     
Remarks

Juan Carlos Baker Pineda
Director General for North America, Ministry of the Economy of Mexico

 12:30 pm     
Networking Lunch 

 

 

 

View the webcast from the conference:

 

Part 1: Panel I — "NAFTA After 20 Years" and Keynote Address by James A. Baker, III
Part 2: Panel II — "Assessing NAFTA and Charting Its Future" and Remarks by Juan Carlos Baker Pineda

 

 

When

Mon, Apr. 07, 2014
7:30 am - 2 pm
(GMT-05:00) America/Chicago

Where

James A. Baker III Hall