Phoenix leaders aim to boost exports to Mexico, other countries

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MEXICO CITY: A Phoenix-based group trying to boost the region’s international exports said it has taken initial steps toward putting its plans into action.
Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton identified members of an advisory board and noted that JPMorgan Chase had committed $100,000 to supporting the export initiative.
The Metro Phoenix Export Alliance, or MPEXA, is intended as a focused point-of-entry for area businesses trying to tap international markets. Arizona borders Mexico but has a relatively small foreign-trade footprint.
MPEXA brings together the city, as well as groups such as the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, the Arizona Small Business Association and the Brookings Institution, which has worked with Chase on what they call the Global Cities Initiative to improve international trade.
“Arizona exports are rising, even as they fall in other parts of the country, and our relationship with Mexico, our largest trading partner, is getting stronger every day,” Stanton said in a statement. “This plan will help more Arizona companies train more Arizona entrepreneurs to succeed in foreign markets.”
Earlier this year, MPEXA announced an export plan for the Phoenix area. Thursday’s announcement was intended as a step toward implementing that plan.
MPEXA intends to improve business outreach and hold workshops to raise awareness and get more companies involved in trade.
Foreign trade has been a hot topic in Arizona in recent years, in part because it’s seen as a way to quickly expand business by locating entirely new customer bases.
Last year Arizona re-opened a trade office in Mexico City in a sign of improved relations after years of border- and immigration-related tensions.
Early in his administration, Gov. Doug Ducey visited Mexico and the Paris Air Show that is vital to the aerospace industry. Ducey is currently in Israel, and one of his goals is to boost Arizona’s relatively modest business ties to that country.