City of Tucson Office of Economic Initiatives Gets Gold Award for Trade Program
The City of Tucson Office of Economic Initiatives received a Gold Award for its Academy for International Trade program at the International Economic Development Council’s recent annual conference.
The Academy for International Trade won in the Regional or Cross-Border Partnership category.
Every year, IEDC looks specifically for economic development organizations, government entities, initiatives, and programs that have demonstrated consistent, exemplary performance in the economic development profession—leading the execution of projects that have a significant impact on revitalizing communities and playing a major role in shaping and improving the practice of economic development.
The City of Tucson’s Academy for International Trade was created to facilitate the growth and expansion of small and medium-sized Mexican businesses into the Arizona market. This program is an economic development business attraction strategy intended to implement the city’s comprehensive economic development strategy and help achieve the goal of attracting investment to diversify Tucson’s economy.
“The City of Tucson is an international destination for commerce, with Mexico as Arizona’s largest trade partner. We have familial ties and a shared culture, working together to thrive as a region,” said Tucson Mayor Regina Romero. “The Academy for International Trade reflects my vision to expand our work in the Sonoran corridor so that we can make it easier for Mexican entrepreneurs and companies to invest in Tucson.”
With the generous financial support of the U.S. Consulate General in Nogales, the inaugural academy was held October 2023 through January 2024 in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. “A key achievement of the program has been its role in building reliable, secure, local, integrated supply chains. This has enhanced the efficiency of cross-border trade and contributed to regional economic stability and growth,” said U.S. Consulate General Michelle N. Ward.
The initial cohort of 31 business owners included firms currently engaged in international trade, as well as firms with demonstrated interest in expanding their operations to the United States. The top industries represented were renewable energy, manufacturing, agriculture, education, services, hospitality and professional services.
Through this series of eight in-person workshops, Mexican entrepreneurs gained valuable knowledge and skills to navigate the complexities of international trade, facilitate the creation of new business partnerships across the border, and increase the likelihood of commercial success in the U.S. Twenty-four participating companies indicated they are interested in investing in the U.S. within six to 12 months.
