Eleventh Annual Building a Competitive U.S.-Mexico Border Conference
Agenda
- 8:30 – 9:30 AM Registration
- 9:00 – 9:15 AM Opening Remarks
- 9:15 – 10:00 AM Panel 1
- 10:15 – 10:55 AM Panel 2
- 10:55 – 11:10 AM Coffee Break
- 11:10 AM – 12:00 PM Panel 3
- 12:00 – 12:40 PM Panel 4
- 12:45 – 1:15 PM Lunch
- 1:15 – 2:15 PM Panel 5
- 2:15 – 2:30 PM Closing Remarks
Exploring the Future of the U.S.–Mexico Border
As the U.S. and Mexico navigate trade, energy transition, migration, and digital innovation, the border remains a critical space for policy coordination, security, and economic development. Now in its 11th year, this forum brings together legislators, business leaders, policy experts, and civil society from both sides of the border.
- Cross-border trade & infrastructure
- Migration & security linkages
- Transboundary resource sharing
- AI & emerging technologies
Panel 1: The Border from the Congressional Perspective
How Capitol Hill is approaching modernization funding, immigration reform, and the future of frameworks like the USMCA—with special focus on fentanyl trafficking, migrant flows, and investments at ports of entry and border technology.
Speakers: Rep. Henry Cuellar (D‑TX‑28), Rep. Greg Stanton (D‑AZ‑4). Moderator: Hector J. Cerna (IBC Eagle Pass).
Panel 2: The Border from the Private Sector Perspective
Reshoring trends, customs processing, compliance, and supply‑chain security—how companies collaborate with governments and how border communities adapt socially and economically.
Speakers include leaders from NatureSweet, McLarty Associates, The Dialogue, General Motors, BBVA México. Moderator: Edgar Guillaumin (Constellation Brands).
Panel 3: Tit for Tat — Enforcement & Trade
Managing migration surges, combating transnational crime, and protecting critical infrastructure without disrupting trade flows. How inspections, coordination, and checkpoints affect supply chains and policy negotiations.
Speakers span CCE, ALFA, MPI, Janes, and The Dialogue. Moderator: Amb. Earl Anthony Wayne.
Panel 4: AI & Emerging Tech — Possibilities and Pitfalls
AI, blockchain, and automation for cargo scanning, risk modeling, and customs workflows—plus implications for labor, accuracy, privacy, cybersecurity, and data standardization across North America.
Speakers: Scott Friedman (Altana), Juan Mauricio Mora (InStrag), Kellee Wicker (Wilson Center). Moderator: Aldrin Ballesteros (BM Group).
Panel 5: Transboundary Resource Sharing
Binational water agreements amid scarcity, drought mitigation cooperation, cross‑border energy integration, and how resource constraints intersect with climate transition and regional industrial growth.
Speakers include Texas Water Resources Institute, Consulate of Mexico (Nogales), Goldwyn Global Strategies, and the Center for the National Interest. Moderator: Kenia Zamarripa (San Diego Regional Chamber).