Fortress North America: Mexico’s Role in Securing the Region’s Economic Future

This report was originally published by CNAS.

Economic security has become the organizing principle of global trade policy, and the 2026 review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement is the first major chance to translate that logic into a regional framework. Mexico sits at the center of the challenge. It is the largest U.S. trading partner and a manufacturing hub for U.S. firms, yet it depends heavily on Chinese inputs and lacks the investment screening and export control tools its partners already use. This paper argues that building credible institutions for screening, export controls, and supply chain risk management will determine whether North America can become open and dynamic inside the bloc and selective and standards-based at its perimeter.