Governor Jared Polis and Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade Executive Director Betsy Markey convened a virtual meeting with Governor Enrique Alfaro Ramírez of Jalisco, Mexico on Monday, August 31.
Also participating on the call were the US-Mexico Foundation, Mexican Council for Foreign Trade , and Biennial of the Americas.
Following the meeting, a series of industry-level dialogues between business and economic stakeholders from Colorado and Jalisco will explore evolving global supply chain trends and how the two partners can leverage business relationships and the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to drive economic development.
Mexico is Colorado’s second largest exporting partner. In 2019, agricultural exports were $261 million. Jalisco is the largest state economy in Mexico outside of the Mexico City capital district. Jalisco is critical to Mexico’s agricultural sector and has an emerging fintech industry, making Colorado an ideal partner to explore collaborative initiatives.
As a vibrant, growing and diverse economy, Jalisco, and Mexico as a whole, present exciting opportunities for Colorado to address vulnerabilities in current value chains, while also presenting new market opportunities for Colorado businesses.
“International partners play a vital role in Colorado’s economy and USMCA provides long-term stability in our North American trade and investment partners,” Markey said. “Jalisco’s strong agricultural industry and focus on growing tech-enabled industries make it a great partner for Colorado.”
As COVID-19 continues to impact market dynamics and the global economy, the strategic role that regional partnerships play in supply chain efficiency is greater than ever. This meeting marks the first step in building a collaborative Colorado-Jalisco economic relationship.