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Mexico Business Center Update

By James Clark, Mexico Business Center Director General

The Fourth Annual InterAmerican Business Awards, held at the San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina on November 19, 2008, recognized bi-national companies that contribute to the economies of both San Diego County and Baja California.  Those honored include:

- Outstanding Community Service: Hunter Industries of San Marcos and Tijuana;

- Environmental Stewardship: Fundación La Puerta of San Diego and Tecate;

- Technological Innovation: Solar Turbines/Turbotec of San Diego and Tijuana;

- Regional Leadership: Sempra Energy/Sempra Energy Mexico of San Diego and Tijuana; and

- Service Provider of the Year: Deloitte San Diego and Baja California.

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders hosted the event.  Hosts rotate between San Diego and Tijuana on an annual basis.  The 2009 Fifth Annual Awards return to Tijuana with Mayor Jorge Ramos as the Host.

The sixth California-Mexico Statewide Debates, San Diego/Tijuana will be held on February 25, 2009 (the MBC also stages the debates in San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles and Santa Ana). Official representatives of the three major political parties in Mexico - PAN, PRD and PRI - will debate issues between the United States and Mexico and among themselves.  Debaters will be questioned by member of the local San Diego media. The Mexican mid-term elections are July 5, 2009, and can be considered to be a national referendum on the Administration of Presidente Felipe Calderon.

The “San Diego/Baja California Mission to Mexico IV” has been scheduled for April 20-23, 2009.   This is the Mexico Business Center’s fourth annual trip to Mexico City, and is the counterpoint to the Chamber's “One Region, One Voice” annual mission to Washington, D.C.    The mission will address binational and cross border issues such as the movement and crossing of goods and people at ports of entry and the economic impact on our region, and the importance of the Federal Government's support of the creation of a second port of entry at Otay Mesa and a ticketed pedestrian crossing at Tijuana International Airport.

Meetings be held at the Secretariats of Foreign Affairs, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Environment and Customs among others.   Also planned are meetings at the Bank of Mexico, Embassy of the United States and at Los Pinos, the Mexican White House.

Mexico Business Center Chairman Steve Williams and Director General James Clark in coordination with the Consul General of Mexico in San Diego Remedios Gomez Arnau lead the delegation, which will consist of business and elected officials from San Diego, Tijuana and Orange County. 

Participants in past years have included Chamber members, the Mexico Business Center, the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, the Port of San Diego, Council members from the City of Tijuana, Tijuana's EDC, Rancho Santiago Community College District (Orange County) and other local Chambers such as the San Ysidro, Otay Mesa and the Hispanic Chambers of Commerce.