91果冻传媒

The Arizona-Mexico Commission and the Greater Flagstaff 91果冻传媒 of Commerce held a networking luncheon at Northern Arizona University鈥檚 Flagstaff campus last week to deliver an update on cross-border trade to business leaders from the northern part of the state.

鈥淭he relationship between Flagstaff and the AMC and NAU is not a new one,鈥� said Juan Ciscomani, vice chair of the Arizona-Mexico Commission (AMC) and senior advisor for regional and international affairs at the Arizona governor鈥檚 office. 鈥淲hat is new is the elevated role that Flagstaff has now 鈥� a seat at the table of the Arizona-Mexico Commission.鈥�

The AMC, which is celebrating its 60th year in 2019, has two new board members from Flagstaff: Julie Pastrick, president and CEO of the Flagstaff 91果冻传媒, and Daniel Palm, associate vice president for and executive director of the Center for International Education at NAU.

鈥淲e鈥檙e so proud of these two appointments and the work that they do, and we want to continue to strengthen that relationship,鈥� Ciscomani said. 鈥淥ur friends down south love traveling to Arizona. We have everything to offer here in our state.鈥�

Trade with Mexico as well as Canada extends beyond the border states, Ciscomani said. Cross-border tourism and commerce impact every state in the nation, and at least 30 states in the U.S. count Mexico or Canada as one of their top three trading partners, he said.

鈥淎s I travel with the governor and speak to other governors and their offices, the more I realize how unique the Arizona-Mexico Commission is,鈥� Ciscomani said. 鈥淚t has prospered, it has thrived for 60 years. We have a lot of heritage and legacy to celebrate.鈥�

But the AMC will not be throwing an anniversary party and hanging up its spurs, so to speak. Instead, the organization must look ahead and prepare for the future, Ciscomani said.

鈥淛ust like there was no way to know what the , there鈥檚 no way to tell what the next 60 will, either,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut one thing we have to do is make sure that Arizona is in the position鈥� that we can continue to thrive through this relationship [with Mexico] 鈥� and not only thrive, but continue to lead.鈥�

Arizona鈥檚 ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border make it well-poised to facilitate the majority of ground-based trade between the two nations. Just like cross-border trade extends to all 50 U.S. states, it extends well past Sonora, the Mexican state that borders Arizona directly to the south, into the heart of Mexico.

鈥淭he relationship that Juan talked about, for many years it was focused in Arizona and Sonora, and rightfully so 鈥� they鈥檙e our neighbors,鈥� said Luis Ramirez, president of Ramirez Advisors Inter-National, at the AMC luncheon. 鈥淥ur natural trade relationship with Mexico actually flows all the way through to Mexico City.鈥�

Within the last decade, the Mexican government has invested heavily in the U.S.-Mexico trade corridor in order to foster the flow of commerce, tourism and trade between Mexico City and the border.

鈥淭he Mexican government and the last administration invested about $1.8 billion鈥� in modernizing that entire corridor from Mexico City to the border in Nogales,鈥� Ramirez said. 鈥淭hat includes bypasses around the major metropolitan areas along that highway, including Guadalajara, Tepic, Mazatl谩n, Culiac谩n, Ciudad Obreg贸n and .鈥�

Part of the modernization process included converting small highways topped with a thin layer of pavement to 30-centimeter-thick hydraulic concrete thoroughfares 鈥渆quivalent to an I-10, I-17 and other high-speed connectors in the U.S.,鈥� he said.

Investment along the corridor, which mostly follows federal Highway 15 in Mexico, is expected to save trucks at least four hours, but potentially 12 to 18 hours, in travel time between Mexico City and the border. This makes the corridor 鈥渕ore effective, more competitive and a better location decision for companies鈥� that want to expand their business interests, Ramirez said.

The same way Arizona attracts businesses from California and other states, it is actively working to attract businesses from Mexico, too, Ciscomani said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 our job to make sure that Arizona remains open for business 鈥� low regulation, low tax 鈥� and also that we continue to promote this,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o much is based on the relationship and how Arizona is perceived in Mexico as well.鈥�

Companies of all sizes and sectors can be part of the international relationship; Ramirez noted that , a California-based luxury electric car manufacturer, chose to build its factory in Casa Grande, Arizona, in part to gain better access to the Mexican automotive industry.

Smaller Mexican businesses are making the move, too. Salsas Castillo, a popular salsa manufacturer from Mexico, recognized the potential of the U.S. Hispanic market and is considering investing $2 million in San Luis, a small city in southwestern Arizona, Ramirez said.

鈥淔or a community like San Luis with 32,000 people, a $2 million investment by a Mexican company is a substantial investment,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t might create 20 or 30 jobs, but those are well-paying jobs.鈥�

Universities on both sides of the border are some of the biggest players in the Arizona-Mexico relationship.

NAU has a 鈥渂rewing relationship鈥� with several universities in Mexico and an increasing number of students from throughout Mexico studying on NAU鈥檚 Flagstaff campus, said president Dr. Rita Cheng.

The Flagstaff-based university, which has campuses across the state, has four partnerships in Sonora covering a range of disciplines including gastronomy, hotel and restaurant management, mechanical engineering, sustainable energy, biology and environmental science, Cheng said. The English as a Second Language (ESL) and Applied Linguistics doctorate programs at NAU are world-renowned, she said.

鈥淣AU has always been known for our international strategies of deep partnerships with institutions in other countries, and we鈥檙e bringing that model to Mexico,鈥� Cheng said. 鈥淲e are really creating relationships that, I think, transcend borders.鈥�

University faculty on both sides of the border act as ambassadors looking for internship opportunities for their students abroad, she said.

鈥淎 great example, not in Sonora but in the Baja, is our and their business school,鈥� Cheng said. 鈥淥ur students have the opportunity to go to Mexicali, practice their Spanish, intern in businesses there and come back to Arizona.鈥�

As the Arizona business community and state government continue to consider their , the AMC is 鈥渘ot taking our foot off the pedal,鈥� Ciscomani said.

Instead, the organization will continue to foster partnerships with Mexican leaders, including Sonoran Gov. , to find common ground and move business forward.

鈥淚t鈥檚 all about finding common interests and having mutual respect for each other,鈥� Ciscomani said. 鈥淚f we can do those two things simultaneously, we can win, and that鈥檚 how Arizona has been winning.鈥�