July 12, 2022
The United States and Mexico affirm our broad and deep cooperation and commitment to building a more prosperous and secure future for the people of North America.
United States President Joe Biden and Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador in a joint statement released Tuesday on their meeting at the White House; among other commitments made, Mexico announced $1.5 billion towards infrastructure along the U.S. southern border.
Why It Matters: After their second in-person meeting in the last eight months, President Biden and President López Obrador announced joint efforts to address various concerns, from border security to inflation, in agreements to increase their countries’ mutual cooperation. One of these announcements included Mexico’s commitment to invest $1.5 billion towards infrastructure along the U.S. southern border from 2022 to 2024.
- Together with the Biden admin’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which includes $3.4 billion towards major construction projects in the U.S. at both the southern and northern borders, Mexico’s $1.5 billion investment “seeks to align priorities, unite border communities, and make the flow of commerce and people more secure and efficient.”
- Context: Encounters of people attempting entry into the U.S. along the southern border have been increasing over the past several months, with monthly figures reaching their highest in more than 20 years.
- Another announcement included the countries’ commitment to work together to combat inflation: “… we have committed to jointly combat inflation by accelerating the facilitation of bilateral trade and reducing trade costs.”
President Biden and President López Obrador Joint Statement (The White House)
Remarks by President Biden and President López Obrador of Mexico Before Bilateral Meeting (The White House)
Mexico agrees to invest $1.5B in ‘smart’ border technology (Associated Press)
by Jenna Lee,
