Considering that the U.S.-Mexico border region makes up the third largest economy in the world, carries a strong stance of economic competitiveness worldwide. The border region economy offers diverse opportunities like no other market. Its uniqueness of binational coordination maximizes the possibilities for entrepreneurs interested in testing an array of markets not available anywhere else. It is through the emphasis of goals, strategies, and tactics that will enhance the advantages of the CANAMEX corridor and help develop joint infrastructure and knowledge-base economies. Arizona, along with Mexico, is committed to the creation of high quality jobs, stable growth, and sustainable economic development and innovation in the region.

This region has become the gateway for global market exchange between North America and countries abroad.  The region benefits from an innovative, entrepreneurial population and a variety of knowledge-based economic activities. It offers a desirable quality of life, including world-class amenities. The competitiveness of the border region secures the basic foundation to conduct business, as it is well planned, with well-designed communication and transportation infrastructure in place.


AMC Assigned Committees: Agribusiness | Economic Development | Financial, Business & Legal Services | Transportation, Infrastructure & Ports | Real Estate | Emergency Management | Tourism

• Ensure that the region has the transportation infrastructure to support its goals for economic competitiveness and quality of life
• Increase economic growth in the region with an emphasis on the development of innovative, entrepreneurial population and a variety of knowledge-based economies
• Through innovation and collaboration within the educational system, the region will increase the qualification of its labor force to compete in the global economy
• Through the use of resource-efficient and innovative business models, the region will create a highly specialized but networked economy
• Develop a modern, stable, and promotion-minded institutional structure committed to enhancing comparative advantages and cooperation between government, businesses and citizens
• Become a space with a high degree of synergistic collaboration among higher education institutions and scientific research institutes, and between these and businesses

• Created 'Plan Uno' to project the future strengths of the region from all aspects to address the needs and opportunities along the Arizona- Sonora border region
• Created the 'Vision 2015: Arizona's New Border' to provide an advocacy timeline to secure funding for Arizona's infrastructure projects; placing the Mariposa port of entry as a top priority for national funding
• Partnered with the Greater Nogales Santa Cruz County Port Authority to position the Mariposa port of entry as a top-five national priority project with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and secured over $199 million for its construction
• Joined industry representatives and local stakeholders in Yuma County to advocate for the extension of hours of operation at the port of Andrade to accommodate the demand for guest workers during the winter harvest in Yuma county
• Created the first of its kind Public-Private Partnership (PPP) at the Lukeville Port of Entry by securing funds from Sonora's private sector and the state of Arizona in a model of bilateral cooperation; enabling the construction of two additional POV lanes, facilitating inspections and crossings for the growth of tourism and commerce
• The AMC (SETIF) partnered with the Federal Highway Administration and CANAMEX (Cyberport) to provide more than $160,000 in funding to conduct a commercial traffic border-wait assessment of the Mariposa port of entry in Nogales, Arizona
• Partnered with Sonora to established the Manufacturing Initiative to stimulate manufacturers to move their installations to the Arizona-Sonora region
• Established the Regional Economic Indicators Program to address and measure the economic strength and weaknesses along the Arizona-Sonora border region
• Coordinated formal partnership with Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) to facilitate electronic inspections of cattle crossing in Mexico; worked with U.S. Trade and Development Agency and ADOT to integrate electronic inspection technology for the facilitation of cattle-crossing into Mexico
• Partnered with Arizona Department of Real Estate to host bilateral real estate forums to address concerns and educate investors about acquiring property in Mexico to further attract investment in the Arizona-Sonora region
• Signed a bilateral commitment with Sonora to promote the usage of the professional worker visa program (TN), and create a Sonora-Arizona Professional Workers Database to promote efforts of sharing resources associated with the current market demands of doing business in the Arizona-Sonora region
• Established the Regional Economic Indicators Program to address and measure the success of past and current policy projects along the Arizona-Sonora border region within a publish report