Critics of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador say he is taking a dangerously narrow view on energy policy. (Photo by Octavio Hoyos, Shutterstock)
A decision by the United States to contest Mexico’s protectionist energy policies under regional trade rules poses the highest-profile challenge yet to President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s nationalist, pro-fossil-fuel agenda. But it is unlikely to reverse Mexico’s backsliding on clean energy in the near future, experts say. “A lot of the damage has been done,” says David Gantz, a professor of trade and investment law at the University of Arizona. Gantz says it will take years to win back the confidence of foreign investors and reboot Mexico’s transition to sustainable energy, adding: “It’s a disaster for Mexico.” The U.S. government on July 20 said it would seek consultations under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the region’s free-trade accord, about U.S. complaints that Mexico has “largely cut off U.S. and other investment” in Mexico’s clean energy infrastructure. Canada has sided with the U.S. position and... [Log in to read more]
