INTERVIEW WITH: JUAN PABLO VEGA ARRIAGA
He earned a bachelor’s in Business Administration from the Universidad del Valle de Mexico, has been president of the Mexican Association of Shipowners Maritime, president of the Mexican Chamber of Maritime Transport Industry (CAMEINTRAM) from 2013 to 2016 , president of the Mexican Council of Transport (CMET) from 2012 to 2014, founding member of the Mexican Council of Energy (COMENER), and vice president of Ecosystem Mobility and Logistics CONCAMIN ( La Confederación de Cámaras Industriales ) 2015-2016. He is also an honorary member of the board of CONCAMIN and Business Council of the Universidad de las Américas Puebla.
He was awarded as an officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau by the government of the Netherlands for his constant and effective work in trade relations between Mexico and the Netherlands in the public, private and cultural environment, and promotion of the Dutch maritime technology, experience and knowledge in the sector.
THE MARITIME INDUSTRY AND ITS ROLE IN THE MEXICO ENERGY REFORM
In an interview with the U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce; Juan Pablo Vega shared his views on the role of the maritime industry in Mexico within the context of the current Energy Reform. He pointed out critical success factors for those participating or intending to participate in the sector today
ALLIANCE: What is the Mexican Chamber of Maritime Transport Industry?
Vega Arriaga: The Mexican Chamber of Maritime Transport Industry is an organization that brings together Mexican shipping companies, platform companies owners, operators, providers of port and related services.
CAMEINTRAM is a business organization with over 25 years of history, which represents the interests of the business sector looking for the development of maritime transport, an organization that I had the high honor of presiding over from 2013 to 2016.
During my tenure, we sought the development and consolidation of strategic issues for the Mexican shipping industry as well as positioning and linking the sector with the relevant authorities and the business elite as CONCAMIN, CMET and COMENER.
A: What represents the shipping industry in Mexico?
V: The Mexican Maritime Sector represents:
– The fifth most important worldwide at tention to offshore platforms fleet;
– 300,000 direct and indirect highly-skilled and well-paid jobs, a figure now reduced by the impact of vessels without operation;
– Investments above 6,000 millions during the period 2011-2014; and
– About one percent of gross domestic product (GDP).
Likewise, the Mexican fleet is modern and safe, meets all international regulations issued by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for environmental protection.
In addition, 78 percent of the oil activity occurs in the sea, so shipping is a significate element in the logistics chain of oil and a national security issue.
A: What effect has the falling prices of a barrel of oil worldwide had on the sector?
V: Declining oil prices have had an impact on the entire sector and have stopped activities on a number of oil rigs—a situation that leads us to have a very significant percentage of vessels without contracts and without operation.
This situation is very worrisome but we believe it will be temporary and will hopefully improve in the budget of 2017 as PEMEX works to be a more productive enterprise and hopefully the price of Mexican oil will increase in the near future.
A: What will be the impact of the energy reform on the National Merchant Marine?
V: The impact of the energy reform will be positive for the maritime and port sectors as there will be a range of new business services to offer.
Mexican companies are ready to offer big oil services worldwide. In Mexico, we have a modern big fleet and that will be enough to meet the needs of this market.
The reform will allow us to have an equal footing with foreign companies and be able to generate further growth in our industry as more private companies, i.e. other than PEMEX, require the services of the shipping industry.
Therefore, I reiterate that the reform is positive and the Mexican industry is a strong choice for companies that require our ships for operations related to the oil industry. In addition to the quality and safety offered by Mexican companies, their participation helps meet needs of integration of local content.
A: What are the challenges that exist in the ports to keep us competitive in a global economy and what measures are being taken for modernization, safety, and operational capacity in the port systems?
V: Ports are the cornerstone for the operation of maritime-port industry and ship traffic for import and export. In Mexico, the ports are the logistics centers where different modes of transportation and services are integrated.
Definitely, modernization is an ongoing challenge. It is important to have solid infrastructure in place to service the vessels currently operating in the world—a goal Mexican ports have worked toward as exist at the Port of Veracruz. Likewise, a challenge is to adapt to the demands of users, activities and services, and today the given situation in the oil sector, a tariff reduction is important with respect to port dues.
