Arizona State Representative David Cook (R-Globe) shared Friday that he sent a letter to Governor Katie Hobbs (D), asking for her aid in establishing a new trade office in Sonora, Mexico.
“Arizona should act now to increase its competitive positioning in the global arena on topics such as the semiconductor industry, secured supply chains, and clean energy programs,” Cook wrote. “These topics have national security connotations that are crucial for Arizona’s sustainable economic development and our own border security in our region.”
✅FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE✅
Chairman @RepDavidCook Expresses Support for New State Trade Offices in Sonora, Mexico & Toronto, Canada
READ MORE 👉 https://t.co/jqIUO6xEFw@AZHouseGOP #AZleg pic.twitter.com/OZudbHiUxC
— Arizona House Republicans (@AZHouseGOP) April 21, 2023
As reported by The Arizona Sun Times, Cook (pictured above, left) is the chairman of the House International Trade Committee, which recently held its first meeting. The committee unveiled the International Trade Plan (ITP), which involves creating new international trade offices in strategic countries worldwide, including Mexico.
Mexico is Arizona’s most vital foreign trade partner, and the state has three trade offices in Mexico City, Chihuahua, and Guanajuato. Cook said this already strong partnership is exactly why Arizona should continue pushing the relationship.
According to Cook’s letter, Sonora is Arizona’s largest trade state in Mexico and may have an opening to set up an office. Cook shared that he recently met with Jorge Mendoza Yescas, Consul General of Mexico, which revealed that the Sonoran Government has a 904-square-foot office space available that Arizona could use.
However, the Arizona-Mexico Commission, which handles the commercial relationship between the two entities, is currently being restructured by Hobbs. Cook said this reformation could cause a delay in making a deal with Sonora. As a solution, he urged Hobbs to direct the Arizona Corporation Authority (ACA) to contract an employee to occupy the available office space as a representative of Arizona, thereby securing the room.
“Time is of the essence as a window narrows down on Arizona and Sonora for promoting the region at international conventions and summits organized by other countries,” Cook said. “It is highly advisable to engage Arizonan experts with counterparts from Sonora to attract and retain foreign direct investment from such events that are closing in our timeframe.”
In response to this letter, a spokesperson for the governor’s office shared the following statement with The Sun Times via email.
“The Governor’s Office has been working to find an office that best meets the needs of our strategic partners in Mexico, grows businesses in Arizona, and creates jobs,” said Hobbs’s Communications Director Christian Slater. “We did receive the letter from Representative Cook and look forward to collaborating with the State Legislature to make the appropriate changes to statute as we improve Arizona’s strong trade partnerships.”
Furthermore, Mexico was not the only country on the list of countries the ITP mentioned. Canada, the state’s second-largest foreign trade partner, is another location Arizona that does not currently have an office in. To act on this desire, Cook sent a letter to Ontario Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation, and Trade Victor Fedeli. Cook introduced Fedeli to the ITP and Arizona’s plans to develop a stronger relationship with Canada.
The lawmaker shared that the Arizona Legislature intends to send a delegation to Toronto sometime between July and December 2023. On this trip, Cook said the priorities would be to connect with Government and financial institutions and meet with Canadian leaders in aerospace, clean energy, and defense and security.
“An Arizona regional office in Toronto shall be a testament to this impressive achievement of the Canadian people. This testament shall cement our business-to-business and business-to-government bonds in the decades to come, now, more than ever in the volatile geopolitical trends of the World,” said Cook. “I stand ready to work together and seeing you hopefully soon in person in Toronto.”
Cook previously led a group of Arizona lawmakers on a similar trip to Brazil.
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Neil Jones is a reporter for The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Neil on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “David Cook” by Arizona House Republicans. Photo “Katie Hobbs” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0. Background Photo “Arizona Capitol” by Pima County Public Library.
