Three dozen Minnesota delegates, including U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer, business leaders and other state dignitaries, will travel to two Mexico cities next week to expand trade opportunities with the state's second-largest trading partner.
"Mexico is a very important trading partner for businesses and farmers throughout our state," Gov. Mark Dayton said in a statement. "The goal of this trade mission will be to establish and build relationships that will help Minnesota companies and producers increase their exports to Mexico, and in doing so, create more jobs here at home."
In 2000, when the last trade mission to Mexico occurred, the country ranked ranked 11th among Minnesota export market. Sales of Minnesota goods to Mexico accounted for 10 percent of total exports last year, the bulk of were machinery, processed foods, vehicles, plastics and iron and steel products.
"Today, Mexico is our second-largest export market with $2.2 billion in manufactured goods in 2014," said Department of Employment and Economic Development Commissioner Katie Clark Sieben in a statement. "Governor Dayton's trade mission will open doors to tremendous new export opportunities and work to attract new investment to Minnesota, which will further develop the close relationship between our two economies.
Delegates will visit Guadalajara and Mexico City. While abroad, they will tour a Boston Scientific distribution facility, a Best Buy outlet in the country's capital and a soy oil processing facility.
The full list of delegates can be found here.
