On this page you will find information about events, reports and other groups that may be of assistance to you in working on Arizona-Mexico related issues.

Events – Current

• Mexico Maquila Event:  On November 16^th, the U.S. Commercial Service will be accompanying Arizona suppliers to an expo hosted at the Masterlock facility in Nogales, Sonora where over 35 maquilas will be present.  This is an ideal opportunity for small and medium sized manufactureres and suppliers to have direct contact with material managers  and buyers in 35 plants. Thanks to our State Department colleagues at the Consulate in Nogales, secure transportation will be provided to and from the Arizona side of the border.  Thank you to UPS for their sponsorship of this event. Registration Link
• Complying with US Export Controls / Jan 24 – 25,2012:  This two-day program is led by Bureau of Industry and Security’s (BIS) professional counseling staff and provides an in-depth examination of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). The program will cover the information exporters need to know in order to comply with U.S. export control requirements on commercial goods. Registration LinkThis program will focus on: • What items and activities are subject to the EAR
  • Steps to take to determine the export licensing requirements for your item
  • How to determine your export control classification number (ECCN)
  • When you can export or re-export without applying for a license
  • Export clearance procedures and record keeping requirements
  • How to submit an application for an export license.

  Presenters will conduct a number of “hands-on” exercises that will prepare you to apply the regulations to your own company’s export activities. This program is well suited for those who need a comprehensive understanding of their obligations under the EAR. Technical, policy, and enforcement professionals from BIS, as well as specialists from other agencies will participate in this program.

  Instructors Include:

  U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security:

  • Outreach and Educational Division
  • Regulatory Division
  • Export Enforcement

• Arizona-Mexico Commission 2011 Fall Plenary. This event is being rescheduled.  For more information:  www.azmc.org.

Events – Past, of Interest

• XX1X Border Governors Conference took place in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico September 28-29, 2011. This meeting of the border state governors and key policy advisors focuses on developing the strategic understanding and framework for advancements in border-related policy. Contact Margie Emmermann, Arizona Policy Advisor for Mexico, Latin America and Executive Director of the Arizona-Mexico Commission, for more information or www.gobernadoresfronterizos2011.org/ingles .
• Arizona-Mexico Commission Summer Plenary 2011 – June 2-4 at the Wigwam Resort, Litchfield Park. Guest speakers and Bi-national Committee Meetings highlighted this annual meeting with the Comission Sonora-Arizona.  For information about the proceedings, www.azmc.org.
• Expopartes 2010 Sonora  - explore supplier opportunities for the automotive industry in Sonora and Mexico.  Over 500 direct and indirect parts and services supplier opportunities from 7 international automotive firms.  Co-organized by the Tecnológico de Monterrey, the Government of the State of Sonora, Ford Hermosillo Stamping and Assembly Plant and six major suppliers of Ford.  September 1-2, 2010.  Expoforum, Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. www.expopartes2010.com.
• XXVIII Border Governors Conference 2010 – this year’s conference was scheduled to take place in Arizona in September, but will not be held as planned.  For more information: www.bordergovernors2010.org

Reports

• New! A Shared Vision for Arizona and Sonora, 2011-2015, released at the Arizona-Mexico Commission Summer Plenary 2011, articulates the principal goals on joint initiatives for the States of Arizona and Sonora within four core areas that reflect the current priorities of the U.S.-Mexico border region: competitiveness, quality of life, security and sustainability.
• The Economic Impact of Arizona’s Principal Military Operations – 2008 is a report that details the economic contributions of Arizona’s major military installations, using data from 2005. Arizona’s military operations are increasingly important to the state’s economy, creating and supporting tens of thousands of jobs and generating more than $9 billion in revenue, according to a new study.
• Strategic Guidelines for the Competitive Sustainable Development of the United States-Mexico Transborder.  Approved at the 2009 Border Governors Conference in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, this plan outlines a strategy for competitiveness, sustainability and well-being through collaborative planning among the border states of Mexico and the United States.
• AZ Aerospace, Defense and Avionics Industry Study. This study was commissioned by the Arizona Department of Commerce and reported out in February 2008.  The study, by the ANGLE Technology Group of Charlottesville, VA, identifies six key strategies for growth and provides a wealth of detailed information on these industry sectors.
• US-Mexico Cross-Border Trucking Demostration Project. This report was recently released by the Independent Evaluation Panel appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Mary Peters.  Former Arizona Congressman and current Chair of the CANAMEX Task Force, Jim Kolbe, was one of three Panel members.  The report summarizes the experience during a one year period, from September 2007 through September 2008, of 25 Mexico-domiciled carriers that participated in over 12,000 border crossings during this period.  The vast majority of crossings took place in the commercial zone (3-25 miles north of the border) in Texas and California.  The actual safety and service experience of these carriers generally was at or better than comparable indicators for U.S.-domiciled carriers, but the sample was too small to draw statistically significant conclusions.  The demonstration project has been extended for two additional years.  The report contains a number of interesting findings and recommendations. US-Mexico Cross-Border Trucking Demonstration Project – 12 month report
• Opportunities for Knowledge-Based Manufacturing in the Arizona-Sonora Bi-national Region. Presentation from the 34th Annual Governor’s Rural and Regional Development Conference, September 2008. Opportunities for Knowledge-based Manufacturing
• 2015 Arizona’s New Border Vision .  Click here to access the PowerPoint presentation outlining Arizona’s ports of entry infrastructure needs and funding timeline through 2015.
• Arizona – Sonora Regional Indicators
University of Arizona analysis of state of our regional economy.
• Arizona Supply Chain Analysis
This report identifies supplier gaps in 12 industry sectors which have been identified as opportunities in the regional economy.
• Arizona Economic Base Studies
The purpose of an economic base study is to identify a region’s leading economic activities — export activities that are significantly larger in the region than in the nation.
• National Infrastructure Program of Mexico.
Mexico’s plan to invest in national infrastructure 2007-2012.

Background Information – Of Interest

• Greater Phoenix Blue Chip Economic Forecast:  “High-tech Industry Thrives in Greater Phoenix.”  Volume 11, Number 3, August 1999. report

Organizations of Interest

• Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• Arizona Commerce Authority
• Arizona District Export Council
• Arizona Manufacturing Extension Partnership
• Arizona – Mexico Commission
• Arizona Tooling and Machining Association – ATMA
• Arizona’s U.S. Export Assistance Centers
• AZIGG – Arizona International Growth Group
• Border Governors Conference
• Border Trade Alliance
• Economic Development Council for Sonora – COPRESON
• SCORE Arizona
• Innovation Arizona
• Sonoran Ecotourism
• U.S. Commercial Service – Mexico