Mexico could quadruple sales to China by 2030: Mexcham chief

MEXICO CITY - Mexico could quadruple its sales to China by 2030 if the public and private sectors unite behind a single strategy, a business leader said on Wednesday.

Efren Calvo, head of the Mexico Chamber of Commerce in China (Mexcham), said a unified strategy could see sales skyrocket from the current $6 billion a year to at least $25 billion over the next 12 years.

To do that, Mexico's government and businesses need to present their Chinese counterparts with an effective plan, he said.

Today the bilateral trade tilts strongly in favor of China at a ratio of 10 to one, with Chinese exports amounting to approximately $60 billion a year, according to government figures.

"The Chinese know it and they are open (to changes). They want to open their doors, but we have to present them with projects, not ideas," Calvo told reporters, following his presentation on bilateral trade ties at the Center for China-Mexico Studies at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

The key to building more prosperous ties with China is to offer long-term certainty and stability, otherwise Mexico will continue to be a sporadic source of goods.

Calvo recommended an approach of "selling by sectors, (such as) biomedical, aerospace and agriculture. What do we want in each sector, how can we develop that together, what is our goal?"

With the US, Mexico's biggest trade partner, spurning bilateral ties under President Donald Trump, the Latin American country is looking to strengthen its relationship with other countries, and China has been named as an obvious potential market to focus on.

Mexico's officials should brainstorm with a group of business leaders, academics and Mexcham members on possible strategies, Calvo said.