Podcast: Dr. Tony Payan, “U.S.-Mexico Relations: Structuring Alternative Futures”

Tony Payan, Ph.D., is Executive Director of the Center for the United States and Mexico at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. His most recent book is, “U.S.-Mexico Relations: Structuring Alternative Futures.”  The US-Mexico relationship is very complicated in the areas of climate, migration, security and trade. Mexico is the US’s largest trading partner with trade at almost $850 billion a year.  Candidate Donald Trump threatened to put a 200% tariff on John Deere tractors produced in Mexico. Generally, any tariff will be paid by the customer and raise the purchase price, increase the inflation rate and could lead to a Smoot-Hawley international recession or depression, whereas selective tariffs can be helpful in some cases.  Mexican President Claudia Scheinbaum does not have a strong team; whereas Donald Trump may have the same problem, or a brain drain of expertise, if he fires more than 50,0000 knowledgeable professional public administrators.