CSIS Americas Program

The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is the cornerstone of North American trade. In the four years since USMCA entered into force, the agreement has demonstrated resilience in the face of disagreements in the automotive, energy, and agricultural sectors. Despite these ongoing disputes, the USMCA continues to play a critical role in catalyzing prosperity, integration, and cooperation among the three countries. For this reason, the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is proud to announce the launch of the USMCA Strategic Initiative. The USMCA Strategic Initiative’s activities will be anchored by a series of invitation-only roundtables, which will convene government officials, trade experts, private sector leaders, academics and think tank scholars from all three countries to discuss challenges and opportunities ahead of the mandatory 2026 USMCA review process. Learn more about the work here: https://lnkd.in/e6Q9ciht

NEW REPORT: "Under the Gun: Firearms Trafficking in Latin America and the Caribbean" Arms trafficking goes well beyond a law enforcement challenge; the proliferation of semi- and fully automatic rifles, grenade launchers, and various high-caliber weapons are increasingly used by TCOs to hold at risk the very sovereignty of LAC governments. Leveraging new data sources, this report examines the prevalence and patterns of arms trafficking within and between the United States, Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean, and provides recommendations for all subregions to pursue. You can download the report by Christopher Hernandez-Roy, Henry Suckow Ziemer and Aylin Azucena Duarte here: https://lnkd.in/e4jn4KcJ

China only has 5% of the world’s copper reserves, but has access to much of LAC's copper. How did they develop their advantage in the supply chain? Read CSIS Americas Program's latest digital report here: https://lnkd.in/eYKJTzfm

#TOMORROW: Join the CSIS Americas Program for the launch of a new report analyzing the dynamics, methods, and consequences of illicit firearms trafficking in Latin America and the Caribbean. Stream live here: https://lnkd.in/eAJYvjzB

Generic drugs comprise over 90% of the U.S. market and 47% of those medications are imported from India. Senior Associate Andrew Rudman argues that India depends on China for almost two-thirds of its active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) required to produce those medications. Reliance on a single supplier for the vast majority of its critical inputs and components would be considered a serious risk. In a #new commentary, CSIS Americas Program Senior Associate Andrew I. Rudman analyzes the potential for closer cooperation between the United States and Mexico on strengthening pharmaceutical supply chains. Read the full analysis here: https://lnkd.in/eb5EHHjt

Cities in Latin America and the Caribbean consistently top international rankings as some of the most violent locales outside of active conflict zones. Behind this insecurity are powerful and deeply-entrenched transnational criminal organizations trafficking drugs and other illegal commodities, who in turn rely on a seemingly endless flow of illicit firearms to carry out their campaigns of violence and intimidation on the Western Hemisphere’s people. #Tomorrow, join Christopher Hernandez-Roy, Andrei Serbin Pont and Henry Suckow Ziemer as they discuss the dynamics, methods, and consequences of illicit firearms trafficking in Latin America and the Caribbean. Sign up to watch here: https://lnkd.in/eAJYvjzB

The FAA halted U.S.-Haiti flights for 30 days after planes after bullets hit 3 planes this week. Were these targeted attacks? Americas Program Deputy Director and Senior Fellow Christopher Hernandez-Roy analyzes the ramifications Haiti's gang violence in an interview with CBS News. https://lnkd.in/eGvvAsmb

Can the U.S. catch up to China in the copper space? CSIS Americas Program Director Ryan Berg, PhD and CSIS Critical Minerals Security Program Director Gracelin Baskaran, PhD take a deep dive into what the U.S. can do to compete with China and discuss whether the U.S. can "catch up." This special event features data from their latest report now live here: https://lnkd.in/eYKJTzfm Watch their full conversation here: https://lnkd.in/egxvEhRd

China's president Xi Jinping is set to attend the inauguration of the Port of Chancay in #Peru. Control over logistics routes is a critical strategic asset for the PRC. In peacetime, this offers economic advantages, but in conflict, it can be weaponized to disrupt supply chains, sowing chaos in the global economy. Read more about the #geopolitics of #LatinAmerica by Henry Suckow Ziemer. https://lnkd.in/e7sQmQKK

Copper is essential for meeting not only clean energy needs, but also the electronics, infrastructure, and technologies that power the modern economy. U.S.-Latin America cooperation is vital given it’s home to the world’s largest copper reserves. In a #new digital report, CSIS Americas Program and CSIS Critical Minerals Security Program delve into the intricacies of the copper supply chain and the role of LAC in it. Read Christopher Hernandez-Roy, Gracelin Baskaran, PhD, Henry Suckow Ziemer, and Fabio Murgia's report here: https://lnkd.in/eYKJTzfm