Economic complementarity treaty between Jalisco and California promoted

Guadalajara, Jalisco. In the face of the renegotiation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement (USMCA), Jalisco faces challenges, but also opportunities, and must therefore promote an economic complementarity agreement with the state of California.

"Jalisco should promote complementarity between California, which is the fifth or sixth largest economy in the world, and Jalisco, which is also one of Mexico's economic engines," César de Anda Molina, president of the Advisory Council for Innovation, Growth, and Sustainable Development (COINCyDES), told El Economista.

"The aforementioned air bridge between Guadalajara and Tijuana is no small feat; 15 flights in the low season, and 23 or 24 daily flights in the high season, 20 flights on average, creates a true air bridge between Tijuana, which is Southern California—not Tijuana, but Southern California—and the western part of the country," he indicated.

The businessman highlighted other competitive advantages of Jalisco, such as its connectivity and geographic location, as well as the availability of highly qualified talent.

"The port of Manzanillo, which is practically Jalisco; the Guadalajara airport, which is becoming one of the most important cargo ports in the country, if not the most important in some areas; logistics for the domestic market is also one of the major draws for investing in this state; not to mention the talent," he explained.

"We have to view Mexico as a backbone that runs vertically through the country, and the entire Pacific Ocean definitely connects to Guadalajara. Jalisco's development has already positioned it as a true international benchmark," emphasized the president of COINCyDES.

Culture and sports

The former leader of national and international business organizations also commented that the complementarity agreement should begin by strengthening the existing cultural relationship with the International Book Fair (FIL) in Los Angeles, and the sports relationship by resuming the previously existing project with Chivas USA.

"I think we should have more flights to Los Angeles, more flights to Silicon Valley, to Sacramento, to San Francisco, to San Jose, and that starts to build communication. We have to get the idea across that JACA, Jalisco-California, can be implemented; I would start with the cultural aspect, the sports aspect, the social aspect, with communications, and then the economic aspect."

The poultry industry entrepreneur and former president of the International Egg Commission (IEC) emphasized that, based on his experience in international private organizations, "one model that works very well is increasing communication between similar organizations, between private peers; and once we understand each other well, we can escalate that to governments."

Baton in T-MEC

According to César de Anda, due to the state's economic weight and importance in sectors such as agribusiness, pharmaceuticals, and technology, Jalisco must assume a leading role and lead the way during the renegotiation of the USMCA.

"We must be key players from Jalisco on the issue of the USMCA; we are undisputed leaders in agribusiness here; we must be the ones leading the way in the private sector, supporting the government in the renegotiation of the Free Trade Agreement, which will begin soon," he emphasized.

"In the pharmaceutical sector, Jalisco's importance is simply and plainly stated: more than 40% of the medicines manufactured by national laboratories are manufactured here in Jalisco; this gives substantial importance to the pharmaceutical industry and the healthcare chain, from hospitals, laboratories, pharmacists, to the universities that are generating a great deal of talent for the Health Sciences industry... Not to mention the technology sector, which you know perfectly well is also at the forefront."

Calls for self-criticism

According to De Anda Molina, the state must also be self-critical, as it is no longer enough to call itself the country's agri-food giant but must also achieve excellence in the field. He said that it is not enough to simply talk about qualified talent; it is necessary to include one of the local universities among the 20 most outstanding institutions in Latin America, and to have at least one hospital in the top 10 hospitals of excellence in the country.