April 29, 2016

2016 Delegation

This year’s California-Mexico Trade Initiative to Mexico City was the largest delegation to date, with 90 business and community leaders including five mayors, six councilmembers, county supervisor, Baja and California Governor representatives and 44 companies.

Delegates enjoyed a robust agenda that featured high-level meetings with the Federal Customs Administrator and the Director of Transportation from the Secretariat of Communication & Transportation. In these meetings discussions centered on El Chaparral/PedWest, Otay II, Otay POE Exit Route, Online Processes, Investment in Technology. Delegates also had the opportunity to meet with Cabinet member Secretary of Energy, Pedro Joaquin Coldwell regarding energy reform investment and renewable energy opportunities.

Sec. of Energy Coldwell (center)

Delegates had the opportunity to meet two newly appointed officials during the trip: Undersecretary for North America, Paulo Carreño King who was only two weeks into his position; and the newly confirmed (by Senate that week) Consul General of Mexico in San Diego, Marcela Celorio joined our group for several meetings.

The delegation also met with both the Mexican Congress and Senate. At our visit with the Senate, we were joined by Senate President Roberto Gil Zuarth.

Jerry greeting Senate President Zuarth

With members of the Senate’s Northern Border Affairs Committee

The meetings yielded a number of policy wins including:

• The FMM tourist card is now confirmed to allow multiple entry points into Mexico’s border region,
• We obtained a commitment from Mexican officials to reevaluate their funding and construction of the PedWest border crossing to maintain a completion date closer to the summer completion date, which is now July 15,
• The land purchase for the Otay II Port of Entry (on the Mexican side) will be completed this year in order to keep the project on schedule
• Federal government representatives agreed to joint marketing plan proposed by Sportfishing Association of California
• Delegate company, Siva Power, considering a company expansion worth $800 million USD in manufacturing operations in Mexico
• US Embassy Chargé d’affaires confirmed work is being done to consolidate Trusted Traveler program for the US, Mexico and Canada

The trip wasn’t all policy, we also got in some time with local businesses and business organizations. We hosted a Chamber Shark Tank with five Mexico start-ups and signed an MOU with the American Chamber of Commerce of Mexico.

Start up, RefereePro pitching to the Chamber Shark Tank

MOU with American Chamber of Commerce

Thank you to all the delegates who took part in this year’s trip. We look forward to working with you on the action items moving forward. For more photos and updates from the trip, check out Facebook album or the hashtag #SDinMX.