San Diego County - News from March 11, 1996

Explain, Senor: The steep rise last week in interest rates and the decline in Mexico’s stock market after two months of relative stability should inspire plenty of questions for Mexican Secretary of Commerce and Industrial Development Herminio Blanco when he speaks in San Diego on Wednesday. At a luncheon sponsored by the San Diego Economic Development Corp., Blanco will address Mexico’s prospects for continued economic recovery, following the December 1994 devaluation of the peso, and speak about investment opportunities there. Blanco, who played a key role in the drafting of the North American Free Trade Agreement, can also be expected to defend the trade accord in the face of mounting political opposition in the United States among groups who insist the accord has cost American jobs. He will also address the growth of manufacturing and maquiladoras in the San Diego-Tijuana region. For reservations at the luncheon at the U.S. Grant Hotel, call (619) 234-8484.