June 4, 1999
Tijuana, Mexico — U.S. Secretary of Commerce William M. Daley joined Mexico's Secretary of Commerce and Industrial Development Herminio Blanco Mendoza in opening a two-day conference focused on business opportunities in development of the U.S.-Mexican border infrastructure.
"NAFTA has triggered an explosion in trade," said Secretary Daley. "Fifteen years ago, two-day trade between our nations was $30 billion. Now it is almost $175 billion. With that growth come both challenges and opportunities for U.S. companies and workers. For exampled, the basic infrastructure has not keep up with the needs of increased trade. Improvements are critical because more than 80 percent of the increased trade passes through the border. And those improvements create jobs and economic expansion."
Secretary Daley called for public-private partnerships to improve border infrastructure in four areas: environment, transportation, housing and energy. Federal, state and local officials joined U.S. and Mexican private sector representatives in Tijuana to discuss areas for growth and improvement along the border. U.S. Energy, Secretary Bill Richardson and California Governor Gray Davis joined the opening session of the conference to discuss these issues. Later, Daley met with mayors from both sides of the border to discuss issues important to their communities.
Secretary Daley awarded two grants to California municipalities to help improve the infrastructure of industrialized areas along the border.
In the Otay Mesa industrialized area of San Diego country, Secretary Daley announced a $1.7 million improvement to roads and infrastructure. The project will allow businesses in the areas to continue to expand, allowing for increased trade. The Commerce Department's Economic Development Administration will provide a $850,600 grant as part of the project.
The City of Calexico in Imperial County will receive $1.2 million from the Commerce Department as part of a $1.5 million water distribution system for an industrial sector in the Northeast part of the city. This project is being done in partnership with the North American Development Bank (NADBank).
In Tijuana, Secretary Daley was joined by Secretary Blanco at an event breaking ground for a NADBank funded project to improve waste treatment in Tijuana.
"The North American Development Bank was created to fund projects which will promote environmental projects in the region. Projects like this raise the living standard of families as well as the standards of our environment."
Following the conclusion of the conference on Thursday, Secretary Daley will travel to Mexico City for the Bi-National Commission Meetings.
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