U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez and his government counterparts from Mexico and Canada will formally launch the North American Competitiveness Council (NACC) on Thursday, June 15, 2006.
The NACC is made up of high level private sector business leaders from all three countries. The goal of the council will be to provide recommendations on how to improve the competitiveness of North American businesses in global markets.
The NACC was established as part of the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP). On March 23, 2005, Presidents Bush and Fox, along with Prime Minister Martin launched the SPP. This White House-driven initiative is meant to reduce trade barriers and facilitate economic growth, while improving the security. The SPP consists of a security and an economic component, led by Secretaries Chertoff and Gutierrez, respectively. Secretary Rice is responsible for ensuring the two components are coordinated and advance U.S. foreign policy.