May 26, 2021

Temporary restrictions on non-essential travel across shared ports of entry between Canada, the U.S., and Mexico were extended for an additional thirty days to  June 21. U.S. and Mexican federal authorities are working to increase flexibility on restrictions starting June 22 based on the propagation indexes of COVID-19 and the number of vaccines administered on both sides of the border.

Mayor Todd Gloria met with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to discuss the negative impacts that border restrictions have had on San Diego’s economy. Secretary Mayorkas noted that multiple factors are considered monthly as decisions are made to extend border restrictions due to the pandemic. As part of our ongoing efforts urging the Biden administration to lift border restrictions, the Chamber shared an overview of the impact these restrictions have had on our business community. We appreciate your input in the matter – please send any information, data, or statements on how border restrictions have impacted your business via email to kzamarripa@sdchamber.org.

May 25, 2021

San Diego and Baja California have leveraged complementing resources to create a $2.5 Billion co-producing manufacturing supply chain and became, together, the largest medical device cluster in the world. Our binational Cali-Baja region is home to global companies that have settled here thanks to our strategic geographic location that provides them with access to Latin America and Asia-Pacific markets. In fact, 90% of California exports travel through our regional ports of entry. The movement of goods and people across our region causes heavy congestion on our highways and at the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa land ports of entry. This congestion plays a large role in the release of pollutants in our atmosphere, damaging the air quality.

The key factors impacting our air quality come from greenhouse gas (GHG) and particulate matter (PM) emissions from energy generation, industrial activity, unpaved roads, and vehicles that transport goods and people across our region every day. The pandemic has also emphasized the importance of addressing this pressing issue, as air pollutants cause, or contribute to, respiratory illnesses such as asthma which increased our community’s risk of experiencing COVID-19 complications. Exposure to emissions that can also cause long-term health issues has been significantly reduced thanks to public programs and initiatives such as State Implementation Plans in California, ProAires in Baja, and cross-border efforts led by binational entities including the California-Mexico Border Relations Council.

Register here and join us on June 17 at 10:00am for a conversation on Cali-Baja’s road to air sustainability. Speakers will share an overview of efforts to ensure improved air quality for our binational community, cross-border collaboration, and the role the business sector plays in achieving this goal.

May 25, 2021

After over a year of travel restrictions impacting land ports of entry, Texas Representative Henry Cuellar introduced a bill to establish a Land Port of Entry Modernization Trust Fund. H.R. 3028 would specifically create a trust fund within the U.S. Treasury for investments in land ports of entry in order to:

• Build new land ports of entry;
• Expand and improve existing land ports of entry to accommodate high volumes of commercial, private vehicle, and pedestrian traffic;
• Procure technology and supporting infrastructure to facilitate the inspection and processing of commercial, private vehicle, and pedestrian traffic;
• Facilitate major repairs and alterations of land ports of entry; and
• Hire U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers, agricultural specialists, and professional staff to support the trade and revenue mission of CBP.

The bill is expected to figure into the debate over a larger infrastructure bill over the next few months.

In our region, CALTRANS and Baja’s Secretariat of Infrastructure and Urban Development (SIDURT) released the California-Baja California Border 2021 Master Plan (BMP). Developed in collaboration with regional stakeholders including the Chamber, the plan aims to coordinate planning and delivery of ports of entry and transportation infrastructure projects serving the ports in our region. The plan provides five key recommendations with action items to reach each goal, including the expansion of border collaboration and coordination, and to manage the border as a system.

May 25, 2021

Vice President Kamala Harris and Mexican President Lopez Obrador met virtually earlier this month to discuss the important partnership between our two countries and recognized the urgency to work together toward economic recovery, improved climate resilience, and additional economic opportunities and security cooperation. Both leaders agreed to join forces to establish a strategic partnership to address the root causes of migration from countries in the Northern Triangle region and noted their commitment to spur its economic development.

Following their conversation, Harris will travel to Mexico City on June 8 to meet with President Lopez Obrador and discuss migration issues and joint efforts to promote economic development in the south of the country and Central America. This will be her first trip abroad after taking office, and Harris will also visit Guatemala to foster and strengthen a strategic partnership with Central America.