A biography for Ildefonso Guajardo Villarrealhasn’t been written yet.
“We must ensure that decisions we make today do not come back to haunt us tomorrow.”
“You cannot have an agreement... that gives a tailor's cut, a perfect handiwork, to a specific company.”
“There is no one trade agreement in the world that has country-specific content. It doesn't exist. Content has to be measured regionally.”
“We have to start a process of looking at what's next after we complete the modernization effort.”
“One of the good things that's happening in manufacturing in Mexico is that the old maquiladora that was relegated to just assembling things has changed in different sectors. One of these sectors is the aerospace industry and in how we attract workers that have been in technical school.”
“NAFTA will continue to regulate the relationship between Mexico and Canada.”
“E-commerce, telecom - those things have to be captured by the new NAFTA.”
“We have to find common grounds. NAFTA is 22 years old. We need to modernize it.”
“We can be a very natural partner as a support base for Ireland to use Mexico to enter into the North American and South American markets and for Mexico, in turn, to really take advantage of Ireland as a gateway to the European markets.”
“Every challenge has the opportunity to convert into a winning proposition.”
“NAFTA is a trilateral agreement, and it would make a lot of sense to have trilateral discussions.”
“I'm sure the apple guys from Washington state or the corn guy from Iowa will not like tariffs on corn or apples.”
“I do believe that as the country becomes more attractive in the manufacturing sector, salaries can improve, and opportunities can expand.”
“If we have to talk to the devil to guarantee the safety and future of the Mexican people in the U.S., Mexico will talk to the devil.”
“The actions taken by the Cuban government with its new trade zone open up the potential of strategic investments from Mexico. Mexican companies are very excited.”
“We all know that China is not a free trader. That's the reality.”
“NAFTA, by itself, will not collapse. The possibility is that the United States leaves the treaty, but the treaty itself would keep regulating relations between Canada and Mexico.”
“I can't come back home with an agreement that will not be a win-win-win situation for the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.”
“There is an old tool that has become very handy that is called strategic patience, which is do not overreact in the short-term. Take your time. See what is the underlying, real message. And then, once the reality is represented by actions, then decide how you are going to react to those actions.”
“We understand U.S. position, but we have to find a way to make trade translate into better jobs in North America.”