Arizona-Mexico Commission works to strengthen cross-border ties amid tariff threat

YUMA, AZ (AZFamily) — With 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada potentially taking effect Tuesday, the Arizona-Mexico Commission is actively working to preserve its strong relationship with its counterparts across the border in Sonora.

Mexico is Arizona’s largest trading partner, with up to $20 billion in goods exchanged annually crossing the border through the state’s six ports of entry.

Arizona has factories, fields, and warehouses that depend on the goods and services from Mexico. It’s why the commission was restructured when Hobbs took office, focusing on expanding economic opportunities on both sides of the border.

Commission member Buna George believes tariffs won’t undermine the strong relationships they’ve built with business leaders and officials in Mexico, but expects it to bring some challenges.

“I think it would be a different type of dialogue about what needs to change, what needs to pivot,” said George.

She said the commission is preparing to focus on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the trade deal that replaced NAFTA in 2020, to strengthen trade relations among all three countries.

“A review is due in 2026 and we think it’s probably going to be accelerated before then,” said George.

As Mexico and Canada face a 25% tariff on imports, George said they are watching the situation closely and will talk to policymakers and leaders to ensure Arizona isn’t negatively impacted.

“We don’t want to see that economic impact right here in Arizona,” said George.

George said the commission is meeting next week to discuss some of these issues.

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