Nuestra Cámara Hispana de Tucson se honró al coordinar el primer SonoraFest de Arizona durante el fin de semana de Memorial Day en Bisbee, Arizona. El evento fue una celebración de de la relación Arizona-Sonora e incluyo una exhibición comercial de más de 45 negocios sonorenses. La Secretaria de Desarrollo Económico encabezada por Jorge Vidal se encargó de la comunicación a las empresas sonorenses, mientras que el alcalde de Bisbee Richard Marsh, encabezo el dinámico evento que incluyo entretenimiento, comida, así como contactos de negocios durante el fin de semana feriado. Nuestra Cámara coordino las actividades y promociono el evento en Arizona y Sonora. Este resulto tan exitoso que ya estamos discutiendo la posibilidad de llevar a cabo un evento mayor y su posible expansión a otras comunidades cercanas. A manera de seguimiento, durante la reciente cumbre de la Comisión Arizona-México, Leonardo Ciscomani, el subsecretario de Economía, anuncio una Feria de Negocios en Hermosillo, donde participen negocios de Arizona, en Marzo de 2018. Estos son exactamente los tipos de eventos que necesitamos continuar organizando para hacer crecer nuestras economías y construir relaciones comerciales en la Mega-Región Arizona-Sonora.
 
En la cumbre de la Comisión Arizona-México sostenida en Phoenix la semana pasada, los participantes compartieron retroalimentación en relación a que las empresas y municipalidades a ambos lados de la frontera apreciarían un esfuerzo coordinado para promover eventos binacionales.
Como una respuesta a esta necesidad regional, nuestra Cámara Hispana de Tucson se enorgullece en anunciar el lanzamiento de “Mega-Región News”. Esta publicación es un paso clave para asegurarnos de que continuamos construyendo una relación fuerte entre Arizona y Sonora. Nuestro plan para promover la Mega-Región incluye:
1) Organizar y asistir a expos, reuniones y conferencias de negocios en Arizona y Sonora
2) Compartir información con nuestras comunidades acerca de eventos relacionados con
    Turismo en Arizona y Sonora.
3) Comprometernos en conversaciones significativas acerca del valor del comercio entre
    nuestros dos estados
4) Apoyar alianzas colaborativas y asociaciones entre empresas y gobiernos de Arizona y Sonora
5) Promover el mensaje relativo a la importancia del comercio binacional en los medios de
    Arizona y Sonora.
Invitamos a las organizaciones empresariales y turísticas de Arizona y Sonora a enviarnos a noticias@tucsonhispanicchamber.org información  relativa a sus expos, conferencias, y eventos turísticos que estén atrayendo visitantes binacionales. Adicionalmente, nuestra cámara creara una lista de entidades interesadas en la Mega-Región Arizona-Sonora y solicitara información acerca de eventos enfocados en atraer propietarios y administradores de negocios americanos y mexicanos. El reporte digital “Mega-Región News” será enviado por e-mail regularmente a ciudadanos en ambos estados para promover nuestra relación binacional. El público puede solicitarla en www.TucsonHispanicChamber.org , o llamando al 520-620-0005.
 

Our Tucson Hispanic Chamber was honored to coordinate Arizona’s first SonoraFest over Memorial Weekend in Bisbee, Arizona. The event was a celebration of the Arizona – Sonora relationship and included a Trade Show of more than 45 Sonoran businesses. Secretary Jorge Vidal’s office of Economic Development led communication and outreach to Sonoran businesses while Bisbee’s City Manager Richard Marsh led the dynamic event that included entertainment, food and business networking over the long weekend. Our chamber coordinated the activities and promoted the event in Arizona and in Sonora. The event was so successful we are already discussing a larger event next year and the possible expansion to other nearby communities. As a followup, during the recent Arizona Mexico Commission Summit, Leonardo Ciscomani, the undersecretary of Economy announced a Business Expo to host Arizona businesses in Hermosillo in March of 2018. These are exactly the types of events we need to continue to host to grow our economies and build trade relationships in the Arizona Sonora Mega Region.
At the Arizona Mexico Commission Summit held in Phoenix last week, attendees shared feedback that a coordinated effort promoting bi-national events would be appreciated by businesses and municipalities on both sides of the border.
As a response to this regional need, our Tucson Hispanic Chamber is proud to announce the launch of the “MegaRegion News”. The newsletter is a key step to ensure that we continue to build a strong relationship between Arizona and Sonora. Our plan to promote the MegaRegion includes:

1. Hosting and Attendinmg business related expos, meetings and conferences in Arizona and Sonora
2. Sharing information on tourism related events in Arizona and Sonora with our communities
3. Engaging in meaningful conversations on the value of trade between our two states
4. Supporting collaborative alliances and partnerships between the businesses and governments of Arizona and Sonora
5. Promoting the message of the importance of bi-national trade to media in both Arizona and Sonora

We invite Arizona and Sonoran business and tourism organizations to submit information on their expos, conferences and tourism events which are attracting bi-national visitors to noticias@tucsonhispanicchamber.org. Additionally, our chamber will create a list of stakeholders in the Arizona Sonora MegaRegion and solicit information on events that are focused on attracting American and Mexican businesses owners and managers. The “MegaRegion News” email newsletter will be sent regularly to citizens in both states to promote our bi-national relationship. The public may sign up for the newsletter at www.TucsonHispanicChamber.org or by calling 01-520-620-0005.
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Last week, the Trump administration submitted formal notice that they intend to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).   In a letter to congressional leaders, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said that the administration wants NAFTA to be "modernized" and that it was vital to update NAFTA to “address the challenges” of “an increasingly global economy.”
 
NAFTA fundamentally reshaped North American economic relations, driving an unprecedented integration between the developed economies of Canada and the United States and the developing economy of Mexico. 
In the years since NAFTA, U.S. trade with its North American neighbors has more than tripled, growing more rapidly than U.S. trade with the rest of the world. Canada and Mexico are the two largest destinations for U.S. exports, accounting for more than a third of the total. 
The recent U.S Presidential election highlighted the perception by some Americans that historically NAFTA had a damaging impact on American jobs with fair wages. The perception was enflamed during campaigns and has led to the political debate unfolding today.
The Economic Policy Institute argued that in the United States, NAFTA displaced 850,000 American manufacturing jobs and suppressed wages by throwing U.S. workers into unmitigated wage competition with low-income Mexican laborers.  However, we are told that over 31 million Americans lost jobs from 1994 to 2002, making the losses from NAFTA seem small by comparison. Supporters of NAFTA argue that over fourteen million U.S jobs rely on trade with Canada and Mexico, while the nearly two hundred thousand export-related jobs created annually by the pact pay 15 to 20 percent more on average than the jobs that were lost.
The communication to the U.S Congress by U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer means that in less than 90 days, the United States can start renegotiating the agreement with its partners -- Mexico and Canada. The idea is for Congress and the White House to spend these next three months conferring about how to change NAFTA in order to benefit American workers.
Discussion among Arizona business groups this week stressed the importance of contacting key influencers to the Trump administration and ensuring industry leaders in Arizona had a conduit to provide input into the negotiation. This same discussion is reflected across many states in the U.S. who have their key industry sectors top of mind and understand the impact of new tariffs or regulations on their economy.  Rather than think of Mexico as a competitor, the United States should think of Mexico as a partner in our national manufacturing supply chain.  
We have less than 90 days to communicate to our federal elected officials in the U.S and in Mexico about the potential “modernization” of NAFTA. In a worst-case scenario, the erection of new trade barriers could disrupt key U.S. and Mexican industries for years to come and force consumers to pay more for big-ticket items. Many in our Arizona-Sonora region believe that we can and must influence the “modernized” NAFTA agreement to produce a win-win for our industries and our two nations.
Lea Marquez Peterson is the President/CEO of the Tucson Hispanic Chamber and its affiliate chambers in Ambos Nogales, Sierra Vista and Douglas. Please email her your thoughts on the NAFTA modernization at president@tucsonhispanicchamber.org.