PHOENIX, AZ — Arizona Governor Doug Ducey touted all things trade Friday at the Arizona-Mexico Commission Summit.
In the room were business leaders and policymakers from both countries.
Governor Ducey and Sonora, Mexico Governor Claudia Pavlovich say two-way trade between Arizona and Mexico is topping 16-billion dollars.
Ninety thousand jobs in Arizona alone are directly linked to trade with Mexico.
But trade between the two has been a hot topic of conversation - especially after President Trump threatened to slap a five-percent tariff on all goods coming into the United States from Mexico until the country stopped the flow of undocumented immigrants into the U.S.
ABC15 asked Governor Ducey if the President's tweets threatened Arizona's relationship with Mexico. "I'm going to control the controllables. I'm in charge of what I say and what I do in the relationship that I've had," he said.
The governor was criticized after he said he'd prioritize national security and a solution to the humanitarian crisis at the border over commerce. "I prioritize national security above avocados."
The governor stands behind his comments. "I advocated for the border not closing. I advocated for no tariffs. The border hasn't closed. There have not been tariffs. But I think that any elected official would prioritize public safety of their citizens before they would prioritize economic growth."
Part of this summit focused on passing USMCA - a new trade agreement between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.
Both governor's want to see it happen and fast. At this point, only Mexico has voted for the plan. The U.S. and Canada still need lawmakers to sign off.
