Arizona and Mexico share deep connections both economically and culturally, yet continued collaboration is needed to maintain a mutually beneficial relationship. That’s why in 1959, Arizona’s then-Gov. Paul J. Fannin and former Sonora Gov. Alvaro Obregon founded the Arizona-Mexico West Coast Trade Commission — which became the Arizona-Mexico Commission in 1972 — to improve quality of life for the two states and countries. On Sep. 10, the Arizona Association for Economic Development hosted its Southern Summit looking at the future of Arizona-Mexico relations, highlighting the need for cooperation around ports of entry, agriculture, water and workforce development.  

“Arizona has a long and rich history of fostering productive, friendly, and strong relationships enhancing our economic, cultural, and political ties with our neighbors in Mexico,” writes Gov. Katie Hobbs. “Both of our economies play a key role in shaping the global economy through trade, tourism, and investment opportunities that are essential to the success of our region. With cross-border trade between Arizona and Mexico totaling $19.6 billion in 2022, Mexico’s importance to Arizona only grows as our largest and most important trading partner.” 

Eva Masadiego, executive director of the Arizona-Mexico Commission, notes at the Southern Summit that the Arizona-Mexico Commission is founded on the central principle of being good neighbors with Mexico and improving both economic prosperity within the region. 

“There are 14 committees [within the Arizona-Mexico Commission] that are chaired by both governments,” she continues. “We are facilitating dialogue to prioritize projects that benefit people on both sides of the border.”  

Part of that work includes aligning the binational committees with Gov. Hobbs key policy priorities. One of the major focuses includes workforce development.  

“We want to ensure that we’re connecting Arizonans to key jobs in healthcare, energy and manufacturing,” Masadiego says. “But as we think about economic growth, we also have to talk about sustainability, which is another priority of this administration. The Arizona-Mexico Commission facilitated the Arizona-Sonora Environmental Strategic Plan that we will launch this fall that identifies projects around air quality, water and waste management. There are priorities in every industry, but what the Arizona-Mexico Commission has done and will continue to do is ensure we’re aligned with our Sonoran counterparts and that everything we do are in mutual benefit to both.”  

Agribusiness 

Arizona has a long history of agriculture, with Yuma holding the title of “winter vegetable capital of the world,” growing upwards of 90% of all leafy green vegetables in the U.S. from November through March. This industry represents big business, with an annual gross economic return of $3.2 billion, or more than one-third of Arizona’s annual total of $9.2 billion, according to Visit Yuma’s website. Agricultural products flow back and forth across the border, representing a significant source of commerce between Arizona and Mexico. 

“As an example, our agency inspects 22 million boxes of grapes every year. That’s about $650 million worth of grapes,” explains Paul Brierley, director of the Arizona Department of Agriculture and co-chair of the Arizona-Mexico Commission’s Agribusiness & Wildlife Committee, at the Southern Summit. “Add on to that tomatoes, dates, avocados and everything else, and you have an amazing amount of economic activity.”  

A few hundred thousand cattle cross the border into Arizona each year, since it’s cheaper to feed them in the U.S. than in Mexico. Often times, the cows end up going back to Mexico to be processed, further facilitating trade.  

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With both produce and livestock, inspections are needed to ensure food safety and quality, but Brierley says these inspections can have a negative impact when done without a sense of urgency.  

“Produce is particularly tricky because there’s a limited shelf life,” he continues. “When it’s picked out of the field, the clock starts and you’ve got to get it to market right away. If it’s coming to a port and an inspector sees a bug and says, ‘I don’t know if we can let this in,’ then it has to go to the USDA entomologist. In the meantime, you have fresh produce just sitting there.” 

This process is one of the biggest challenges when it comes to getting through the ports at the border. Another is a desire for consistency regarding inspections.  

“The industry figures stuff out quickly. If they hear that trucks are getting through faster in Calexico than in San Luis, they’ll make that longer trip around, and we don’t want that. It’s important we pound on the federal government on making inspections uniform,” Brierley says. “It’s the same thing with animals. Sonora may be designated disease free for certain diseases, yet we require a test on the way across and a test 60 days later, which isn’t going to work for somebody who wants to bring cattle over and sell them to a feedlot.” 

Those requirements hinder commerce, but Brierley notes that he’s not opposed to regulations — but he wants them to ensure food safety and market fairness, not needlessly impact trade.  

Water concerns 

Water is also a pressing issue for the industry, and Bierley notes that there’s a public perception that when any agricultural product is shipped out of Arizona, a scarce resource is being exported. 

“That paints a picture that isn’t pretty, but you can argue that’s the case with anything,” he continues. “Everything we produce, whether it’s microchips or something else, uses water. When we sell it in the best market we can, those exports help our economy. If you think about, the produce we bring in from Mexico is bringing their water here, so I wouldn’t get too hung up on that. We need to figure out how agriculture can stay productive with less water, but it’s not as simple as saying, ‘When we send something out of Arizona, we’re shipping our water away.’” 

When it comes to preserving water, Brierley says that the fates of every community along the Colorado River are tied together.  

“We’re all subject to the law of the river as it’s called, and it designates who gets what water supplies from the Colorado River. When there are shortfalls, it determines who shares in the cutbacks,” he concludes. “That’s very impactful to agriculture and to the growth of municipalities. But we have a shared future with Mexico, so it’s important that we keep the channels of communication open, both at the government level and in the private sector.”