Episode 203: Mexico’s USMCA Challenges: Governance, Trade Risks, and Economic Pressures with Juan Carlos Machorro

This midweek, Dominic Bowen welcomes Juan Carlos Machorro to The International Risk Podcast to dive into the complexities of the USMCA. Together, they discuss the origins of the agreement, the critical elements of the 2026 Joint Review, the implications of Mexico’s judicial reforms, Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs, and the urgent need to strengthen Mexico-Canada trade…

Juan Carlos Machorro

Juan Carlos Machorro

Juan Carlos is the leader of Santamarina y Steta’s transactional and financial practice area, with 30 years of experience advising various national and international organizations on the development and implementation of investment and financing projects in Mexico. His areas of expertise include Mergers and Acquisitions, Project Finance and Infrastructure. His talent, practical and business acumen, and…

Episode 201: USMCA in Focus: Trade Dynamics, Tariffs, and North America’s Strategic Future with Dr. Joshua Meltzer

This weekend, Dominic Bowen welcomes Dr. Joshua Meltzer to The International Risk Podcast for an in-depth exploration of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and its evolving role in North American trade. Together, they discuss the significance of the USMCA in maintaining economic competitiveness, the implications of Trump’s tariff threats, and the opportunities and challenges posed…

USMCA at a Crossroads: Securing North America’s Future

USMCA at a Crossroads: Securing North America’s Future

Author: Camila Mateos Betancourt In an era of rapid political change, the North American region faces significant international risk, demanding strong leadership and sound governance. Mexico has elected Claudia Sheinbaum as its first female president (explore Mexico’s internal risks in Episode 178), Donald Trump has returned to power in the United States (learn more about…

Joshua P. Meltzer

Joshua P. Meltzer

Dr. Meltzer is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. He works on international economic relations with a focus on the intersection of digital technology and international trade and investment. He also leads the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) initiative which focuses on how USMCA can strengthen international economic cooperation in North America. Meltzer has testified before…

Nicholas Cheeseman

Nicholas Cheeseman

Nic Cheeseman (@fromagehomme) is Professor of Democracy at the University of Birmingham, and the Director of the Centre for Elections, Democracy, Accountability and Representation (CEDAR). He was formerly the Director of the African Studies Centre at the University of Oxford. Dr Cheeseman mainly works on democracy, elections and development, including a range of topics such as election rigging, political campaigning, corruption,…

Tarek Megerisi

Tarek Megerisi is a senior policy fellow with the Middle East and North Africa programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations. His work mainly addresses how European policymaking towards the Maghreb and Mediterranean regions can become more strategic, harmonious, and incisive – with a long-term focus on Libya.  For more than a decade, Megerisi…

Episode 166: The Failures of the Rwanda Bill, EU Migration Policies, and the Geopolitics of Libya with Tarek Megerisi

Recently, we heard from Mireia Faro Sarrats, and we had a fascinating discussion about Europe’s externalisation of its refugees, and the UK’s recently passed Rwanda Bill. Under this bill any asylum seeker entering the UK ‘illegally’, from a ‘safe’ country, such as France, could be sent to Rwanda to have their asylum claims processed there…

Mireia Faro Sarrats

Mireia Faro Sarrats is the communications officer at the European Council on Foreign Relations. Previously, she worked as a communications officer at the European Institute of the Mediterranean, a public affairs officer at the United States Consulate General in Barcelona, and in the communications department of the European Agency for Fundamental Rights in Vienna. Faro…

Episode 165: The Rwanda Bill and the Externalisation of EU Migration Policies with Mireia Faro Sarrats

Recent statistics show the UK’s migration is at a record high. In April 2022, the British government stated that any asylum seeker entering the UK ‘illegally’, from a ‘safe’ country, such as France, could be sent to Rwanda to have their asylum claims processed there rather than in the UK. If these claims were successful,…