Mexico’s economy ministry hopes to soon resolve a dispute over energy policies under the USMCA free trade agreement.

The dispute, initiated by the United States in July and supported by Canada soon after, stems from regulatory and legislative changes introduced by the Mexican administration over the past four years with the aim of strengthening state energy companies CFE and Pemex. Both countries argue that these policies have harmed US and Canadian companies operating in Mexico.

El miércoles, la secretaria de Economía de México, Raquel Buenrostro, indicated that his team había presented al Gobierno de Estados Unidos una hoja de ruta para alcanzar un acuerdo antes de la Cumbre de Líderes de América del Norte, que partirá el 9 de enero en Mexico.

“We have presented a work program so that everything will be resolved in January, we are waiting for the comments, the work proposal that we have presented,” Buenrostro said. “We want to solve [la disputa] as soon as possible because it gives a lot of certainty to the investments”.

As early as October 3, the United States and Canada could have requested the formation of a panel, but decided to prolong the preliminary negotiations to try to reach an agreement. According to the Mexican authorities, progress has been made in direct negotiations with the private actors concerned.

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The state of Tamaulipas hopes to generate more attractiveness to receive energy investments by creating a secretariat.

The energy commission will become the Department of Energy, a state official told local outlet Energía a Debate. The portfolio will focus on public-private investments to promote sustainability and energy transition.

Tamaulipas is investing in increasing its transmission capacity to transfer its surplus energy to neighboring states such as San Luis Potosí and Nuevo León. Transportation hurdles limit the development of new renewable energy projects, according to the state government.