Realizing the Economic Strength of our 21st Century Border

September 23-25, 2012,

The North American Center for Transborder Studies (NACTS) at Arizona State University, in partnership with the United States Department of Commerce, held the inaugural conference “Realizing the Economic Strength of Our 21st Century Border: Trade, Education and Jobs” on September 23-25, 2012 at the Fiesta Resort Conference Center in Tempe, Arizona. Throughout three days of discussion panels, private and public sector leaders from the U.S. and Mexico met to discuss current issues regarding the almost 2,000-mile-long border that unites both countries. Guest speakers such as Rep. Henry Cuellar, 28th District of Texas; Mayor Greg Stanton, City of Phoenix; Rep. Raúl Grijalva, 7th District of Arizona; and Gov. Susana Martínez, New Mexico highlighted the importance of the U.S. relationship with Mexico and called for cooperation from both countries to improve the border region and focus on the important issues such as trade, education and jobs. 
 
 

Background
The U.S.-Mexico border region is one of the most important trade corridors for North American businesses, representing a $460 billion economic relationship between the two countries.  The border region represents a critical staging point for U.S. commercial activity with Mexico where approximately 80 percent of U.S. exports pass through or originate in that region.  It is, therefore, the key to unlocking the true potential of the U.S.-Mexico relationship.

As a means of facilitating a dialogue that will feed into on going border governors', legislators', mayors' and commissioners' policy making processes, the conference focused on identifying regional solutions to border related challenges and priorities such as: workforce needs and educational development; trade facilitation and supply chain solutions for cross-border trade; border infrastructure needs and regional border planning; public/private partnership opportunities and new innovative technologies; and identifying cross-border economic development and job creation strategies.

AttachmentSize
NACTS-DOC Sept 2012 Conference Report final.pdf2.15 MB
Border Conference Agenda 09 19 2012.doc227.5 KB
Border Conference Agenda 8 28 2012 - Spanish version.doc151.5 KB
NACTS-DOC Sept 2012 trade event flyer.pdf2.27 MB
BANNER - FINAL.pdf3.55 MB
Conferencia NACTS.pdf2.27 MB

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