Japan and Mexico should seriously study the possibility of a bilateral free-trade agreement, visiting Mexican Foreign Minister Rosario Green reiterated Monday. "Concluding an FTA between Japan and Mexico would benefit both countries," Green told a news conference. "To Mexico, such an agreement would reinforce our global free-trade network, while Japan would be able to utilize it." In 1994, the United States, Mexico and Canada formed the North American Free-Trade Agreement. To further diversify its trading partners, Mexico has also concluded a free-trade pact with the European Union that takes effect this summer and has now begun wooing Japan. Mexico has incurred deficits in trade with Japan and the liberalization of commodity trade between the two countries would reduce such debts and strengthen bilateral ties, she said. Green, the first female Mexican foreign minister, arrived Saturday on a four-day visit. She was to hold talks with her Japanese counterpart, Yohei Kono, on Monday evening.
