Arizona delegates who recently visited Mexico City said they secured an important commitment from the Mexican government: That country has promised to improve its highway leading to the Arizona border to facilitate trade.
Some 70 Arizona leaders and agency heads were in Mexico City last week to inaugurate the state’s new trade and investment office there.
Arizona agencies announced on Monday that during those meetings, Mexican officials agreed to invest $1 billion in highway improvements.
That will smooth the transportation of goods on Route 15, which leads from Central Mexico to Nogales.
“What that means for Arizona, it is expediting the shipment of goods from Central Mexico into the U.S. and helping our goods move more easily into Central Mexico and the ports,” said Tim Tate, a spokesman for the Arizona Department of Transportation. “This is a major step forward for transportation of goods to and from Mexico.”
Arizona’s new trade office in Mexico City is led by the Arizona Commerce Authority in partnership with the city of Phoenix.