July 13, 2018

If your business is looking for industrial workspace in Tijuana, ATISA Industrial invites you to the Diamante Grand Opening taking place Thursday, July 26^th at 2:00 p.m. in Tijuana. ATISA’s new building has 219,571 square feet of capacity and is located 25 minutes south from the San Ysidro and Otay Ports of Entry.

For this event, ATISA offers executive transportation from and to Chula Vista at the E Street Trolley Station departing at 12:30 p.m. The ribbon cutting ceremony includes:

• A taste of Baja’s world-famous cuisine
• Craft beer and wine
• Behind the scenes tours
• Meet and greet with public officials
• Media exposure for attendees and their businesses

For event details, or to RSVP, visit the ATISA website.

July 13, 2018

On October 4 and 5, 2018, Tijuana’s Customs Secretariat (SAT) will be hosting the 2nd Trade Competitiveness and Customs Fair at their headquarters located just south of the Otay Port of Entry. The Chamber, among other organizations, has partnered with SAT in joint efforts to increase our region’s global competitiveness through the promotion and facilitation of cross-border commerce.

The first fair took place earlier this year, with 322 business-to-business meetings connecting suppliers and vendors from both sides of the border, conferences, and workshops on trade-related subjects, and stands to promote products and services. With a successful first event, SAT is replicating the Trade Competitiveness and Customs fair in other states and organizing a second fair in Tijuana with the objective of increasing its reach and strengthening our binational region’s supply chain by including the cities of Tecate, Mexicali, and Ensenada.

Businesses are able to participate in three ways:

1. B2B meetings
2. Conferences and workshops on trade-related subjects such as NAFTA and tariffs, customs processing updates, and new regulations – Translators available depending on the topic.
3. Tabletops to promote products and services (participating fee).

For event details, or to register, please email Kenia Zamarripa, Director of International Business Affairs.

July 13, 2018

Last month, Jerry Sanders joined Mayor Faulconer and community leaders in celebration of Immigrant Heritage Month at a public event held in Balboa Park. During the press conference, Jerry recognized the important role immigrants play in San Diego representing a quarter of the region’s population and nearly one-third of our workforce.

A special “I ♥ San Diego” sculpture was unveiled at the event and attendees were encouraged to place a small flag sticker representing their respective country of origin on the sculpture. The sculpture was later placed at the New Americas Museum in Liberty Station for permanent display.

July 13, 2018

After Mexico’s Energy Reform, rail transportation was referred as one of the most cost efficient and viable option. For the first time in 100 years, diesel was imported to Mexico by Baja Railroad (BJRR). It took nearly three years of planning, and with ten tank cars carrying 30,000 gallons of diesel each, CEO Roberto Romandia shared that jet fuel and gasoline are not far from being imported to Mexico as well.

With the cost of the fuel molecule, the exchange rate and tariffs, freight cost is key on the process of importing fuel into Mexico, which is why BJRR offered a solution for U.S. companies looking to expand their market.

Baja Railroad has authorization and permits required by CRE, Secretary of Energy, and the Secretary of Communications and Transportations, as well as all necessary infrastructure and equipment to transport fuel into Mexico. Their future connection with Union Pacific through the Dessert Line, currently in rehabilitation, gives BJRR the ability to achieve complete connectivity for almost 5,000 railcars per year across our binational region. BJRR already has a direct connection to the northwest at the San Ysidro Port of Entry towards the San Diego Imperial Valley connecting with BNSF Railway in downtown San Diego. For more information about BJRR, visit their website.

July 13, 2018

The Chamber’s upcoming Cross-Border Business Forum will take place August 16^th at Club de Empresarios in Tijuana. The forum will address the transportation and infrastructure aspect of the goods movement including opportunities to further increase connectivity and boost our binational economy, and discuss the challenges of keeping up with a growing population and reducing our carbon footprint while remaining globally competitive.

With an integrated supply chain worth over $2.5B, a binational community and tourist destination, Cali-Baja relies on its connectivity for the transportation of people and goods by land, sea, and air. This connectivity is possible via the region’s three major international airports, two deep-sea commercial ports, rail connections, highways and six land ports of entry.

The purpose of these quarterly forums is to provide business leaders the essential knowledge and resources needed to thrive within the binational marketplace. For meeting details, or to register, click here.

July 13, 2018

The Chamber’s annual International Tribute Dinner provides an opportunity to recognize outstanding individuals and businesses that have made a significant impact in the binational efforts bridging U.S. and Mexican economies. Previous awardees include Ambassador Marcela Celorio for Binational Leader of the Year; University of California, San Diego, for Cross-Border Collaboration; and Cross Border Xpress (CBX) for the Change Maker Award.

Save the date for this year’s International Tribute Dinner, which will take place Thursday, November 14^th from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

July 13, 2018

The Chamber is pleased to welcome Sue Saarnio to the region as the new U.S. Consul General in Tijuana, a three-year assignment beginning June 2018. Chamber President Jerry Sanders recently met with Consul Saarnio and provided an overview of the Chamber’s work and priorities. We will be working with her to plan a meeting with the Department of State during our upcoming delegation trip to Washington D.C. September 30 through October 3.

To learn more about Sue Saarnio’s experience and career, visit the U.S. Embassy and Consulates’ website.

July 13, 2018

Jerry joined the State of Baja, MTS, and the San Diego Tourism Authority at a press conference promoting a marketing campaign to attract visitors to Tijuana via the San Diego Trolley. Two trolley cars dressed in bright pink with the name “TIJUANA” have joined the MTS fleet through the end of August.

Jerry emphasized that this is effort is not just for tourists, it speaks to our close ties and collaboration and reminds San Diegans that there’s a venue south of the border – 15 miles from San Diego – offering a tremendous amount of fun and various arts, culture and dining exploration.