Phoenix, Arizona - Tuesday, Governor Ducey delivered the annual International State of the State address focusing on Arizona’s strong trade and business partnerships with the international community.
Not only have Arizona’s international relationships never been stronger, the opportunities to prosper from international partnerships and cooperation have never been greater.
Business Relationships
Arizona’s business and trade relationships remain crucial to our state’s growing economy.
- In 2017, Arizona exported over $20 billion of goods to 202 countries around the world.
- In 2017, Arizona imported over $20 billion of goods from 162 countries around the world.
- Arizona’s exports alone support over 95,000 jobs in the United States.
- Majority foreign-owned establishments employ over 100,000 people here in Arizona.
In 2017, Arizona saw:
- $19 billion in trade from NAFTA countries (Mexico and Canada).
- $7.8 billion in trade from European countries.
- Over $4 billion in trade with China and $1.6 billion with Japan.
Our strongest trading partners: Mexico and Canada
Mexico
- The Arizona-Mexico Commission, established 59 years ago, facilitates collaboration on cross-border trade and security.
- Two-way trade with Mexico approached nearly $16 billion in 2017, supporting approximately 100,000 Arizona jobs.
- More than 46 million people, 17 million cars, and 760,000 trucks cross the Arizona-Mexico border in two-way traffic (2015).
- Arizona will be home to SkyBridge Arizona, the first inland cargo inspections facility in the nation to house both Mexican and United States customs. The project is set to bring 17,000 direct, indirect, and induced jobs to Arizona.
Canada
- Arizona has a $4.5 billion bilateral economic footprint with Canada.
- Arizona’s annual trade with Canada for 2017 totals over $3.5 billion.
- 350 Canadian businesses operate in Arizona, making Canada the largest contributor of foreign direct investment employment in our state.
- Nearly 150,000 jobs in Arizona, or 1 in 20, result directly from trade and investment in Canada.
- A significant portion of international housing in Maricopa County, the fastest growing county in the United States, is Canadian-owned.
Tourism
In addition to Arizona’s thriving business partnerships with the international community, tourists from all over the world visit Arizona to experience our great climate and quality of life.
- Over 5 million visitors from around the world step foot in our great state each year.
- Of all international tourists, 3.8 million visitors came to Arizona from Mexico and over 875,000 from Canada in 2016.
- Through travel-related spending, domestic and international tourism generates over 184,000 industry-related jobs in Arizona.
- $21.2 billion in direct travel spending is injected into Arizona’s economy from domestic and international tourism (2016).