Commentary:
As is customary in this column, I write a wish list of international trade/affairs issues that I would like to see come to pass or be resolved in the New Year. The entrance into a new year always offers opportunities to set out to accomplish new things and to resolve things that are festering. This is my wish list for 2025.
First, I wish the Trump Administration stability and leadership in the world. We are at one of the critical points in history that the world needs U.S. leadership in areas such as trade, diplomacy, and strength. While many Americans have strong, negative feelings towards President-elect Trump, he will be our President for four years going forward. It must be taken into account that what was said on the campaign trail might not necessarily be converted into policy. As Americans, we all share a responsibility in lifting our country higher and handing it in a better situation to our offspring.
I also wish that the Trump Administration invests heavily in infrastructure at the U.S.’s border with Mexico. Trump made stopping undocumented entries into the U.S., as well as the interception of illegal drugs, part of his campaign platform. Ports of entry are where the majority of these activities occur. Modernizing ports of entry with the newest infrastructure is critical to these efforts. Ports must be outfitted with the latest inspection technologies to assist Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Border Patrol personnel in doing their jobs. I hope that the Trump Administration also budgets the necessary funding to boost the numbers of CBP and Border Patrol agents at the border. Technology is great, but these people who put their lives on the line daily to protect our nation are even greater.
I also hope that the Trump Administration carefully considers what the imposition of tariffs will have on the U.S.’s diplomatic relations and global supply chains. Communication, trade, and friendship need to grow stronger between the three North American partners of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. This will increase our ability to compete as a region against China and other trade blocs throughout the world. The economies of the U.S., Mexico, and Canada are already tightly interwoven, and imposing tariffs will disrupt each of our economies.
I do wish that governments and companies throughout the U.S. develop a better understanding of how AI can make them more productive and efficient. I have experimented with AI and have been impressed and unnerved. Through AI, I have developed standards and interview questions for potential board directors for the entities I manage. I have used AI to do research that would have taken me a lot of time to conduct. AI has helped me with mundane tasks such as writing support letters. I also have friends who are using AI in the manufacturing and logistics operations. AI is the future, but we must develop a better understanding of its capabilities as it improves over time.
I hope that the wars in Ukraine and Gaza come to an end in 2025. I look at the billions and billions of dollars that have been expended in these wars and the thousands of lives lost, and consider these to be unforgivably wasteful. Imagine how the funds spent by Russia in aggressively invading Ukraine could have been used to develop its economy for a better future. Imagine how the money spent in the Gaza war could have been used to build infrastructure to allow for better opportunities for both Israeli and Arab residents of that region. More importantly, imagine the lives that were cut short that could have been the leaders and innovators of the future, which we will now never know.
I also hope that when both wars end, that the world will not shy away from pitching in to help rebuild both regions back to at least the level of their pre-war days. Money from China, the U.S., the European Union, and the Arab world will all be needed to lift human lives in both places. Some Americans will wonder, “Why should the U.S. be involved in doing this? What concern is it of ours?” The answer is creating stability in the world so that U.S. troops will not have to put their lives at risk if the situation in both regions deteriorates further, which it will if we turn our backs. Being proactive in these situations is much better than having to be reactive.
Two more items will make my wish list complete. First, I wish the best for our country and allies in 2025. Let us be successful in bettering the lives of our citizens, and to be a beacon for democracy around the world. Finally, for our adversaries, I hope that 2025 provides opportunities to put adversarial relationships aside to form closer relationships. Our future depends on this.
Jerry Pacheco is President of the Border Industrial Association. Jerry Pacheco's opinions are his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of KRWG Public Media or NMSU.