Global challenges, North American solutions

Initially planned for November 2022, the North American Leaders Summit (NALS), appears set to return on Jan. 9-10, 2023, in Mexico City. As is often the case, U.S. attention is elsewhere — Ukraine, the midterm elections, and runaway inflation — and our own neighborhood has been accorded a lower priority than it deserves. But for many of these same reasons, the meeting is an opportunity for the United States and its region that should not be missed.

Geopolitical competition is growing sharper, energy prices have shot up, the climate is shifting, and supply chains are shaky. These factors are forcing changes to the model of Globalization 1.0 as it emerged over the past three decades. Companies that long prioritized lower labor costs, logistical efficiency and working capital optimization above all else now must give greater weight to international uncertainty, a supply chain in disarray, and the pressing need for sustainability.

To prepare itself for Globalization 2.0, the United States should start closer to home — with a plan to create North America 2.0. 

Alan Bersin is a global fellow and the Inaugural North America Fellow at the Wilson International Center for Scholars. He served as Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection during the Obama Administration. Tom Long is associate professor of International Relations at the University of Warwick. Together, they are editors of the new book, “North America 2.0: Forging a Continental Future.”