Hi, this is Rosario Marín, Secretary of California’s State and Consumer Services Agency, filling in for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger with this week’s California Report.
Our Governor is California’s number one salesman. He will go anywhere in the world to open new markets, attract new investments and build the partnerships necessary to expand California’s booming international trade and pump up our state’s economy. And no other trading partner is more important to California’s economy than Mexico.
Last year, California exported nearly $18 Billion in products to Mexico, including $581 million in agriculture. This trade relationship supports nearly 200,000 jobs in California and is a crucial part of our state’s economic prosperity.
Governor Schwarzenegger is committed to strengthening these already fantastic economic ties and making it even easier for people to do business across the border. That is why Governor Schwarzenegger led a trade mission to Mexico this week where he met with outgoing Mexican President Vicente Fox and President-elect Felipe Calderón, he highlighted California’s leadership in environmental and energy technologies by hosting a clean energy trade show, announced plans to open a new state tourism office in Mexico City, met with the governors of several Mexican states to explore opportunities for economic development, promoted California tourism and agriculture and much, much more.
I was proud to accompany Governor Schwarzenegger on this trade mission and help strengthen California’s relationship with Mexico.
California and Mexico share a common border and a common bond.
This trade mission is about strengthening those bonds and creating even more opportunities for people living on both sides of the border.
On behalf of the Governor, thank you for listening.
I’m Secretary Rosario Marín.