The CANAMEX Corridor
The CANAMEX Trade Corridor Project provides a unique and distinctive economic opportunity for Tucson and for the State of Arizona. The purpose of the project is to maximize the free trade opportunities between Mexico, Canada and the United States by developing the corridor’s physical and technological infrastructure from Nogales to Tucson via I–19, Tucson to Phoenix via I–10, then north through Nevada, Utah, Idaho, and Montana to the Canadian Border.
It is a north-south trade corridor that, when complete, will be a continuous four-lane highway from Mexico City to Edmonton, Canada. In Arizona, CANAMEX includes I-19 in Nogales to I-10 in Tucson, to Phoenix and US 93 (Phoenix) to Las Vegas. Find more information at http://www.canamex.org.
North American Free Trade Agreement
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has contributed to the advancement of Arizona and Mexico’s strong import-export partnership. Fourty five percent of Arizona’s total global exports are directed to NAFTA markets, with Mexico as the number one destination with 32 percent (source: International Trade Administration, 2009 data). Moreover, Sonora, Mexico’s exports are also highly concentrated in NAFTA markets, with the United States being the number one destination for over 90 percent of their exports.
Since the passage of NAFTA and the inception of the CANAMEX Corridor Project in 1995, the Tucson region and the State of Arizona have served as a catalyst and conduit for the efficient transportation of goods, services, people and information between Canada, Mexico and the United States. From 1999–2007, trans-border cluster development in the Arizona–Sonora Region outpaced many other U.S.–Mexico Border States. For example, employment trends in "high technology" related sectors such as software/computer services, semiconductor manufacturing, aerospace manufacturing, precision instrument manufacturing and pharmaceutical manufacturing outperformed other bordering regions.