Over 90 business and community leaders from San Diego and Baja California were part of The San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce’s 13th annual three-day Binational Delegation that traveled to Mexico City on April 15th to reinforce the region's support for the U.S.-Mexico relatioship. The group met with Mexican leaders and government officials to strengthen economic and diplomatic ties and discuss opportunities for collaboration on projects and issues affecting the region.

Some manufacturers have dedicated expansion teams to establish a manufacturing operation in Mexico that allow them to start up on their own. Even so, the cost, learning curve, and slower ramp-up times of going it alone necessitate local experts to get up and running within desired timelines plus a strong administrative team to ensure the new facility is operating at peak performance with minimal costs and full compliance to Mexican laws and regulations. That said, there are three major approaches for expanding into Mexico:

Expanding medical device and orthopedic manufacturing operations outside of the US often carries the misconception that it’s about saving a failing business. When it comes to expanding production to Mexico, nothing could be further from the truth. Major medical device manufacturers utilize three major methods for expanding operations into Mexico: using a Mexico shelter services provider, setting up an independent corporation and/or working with contract manufacturers. The long-standing ties between the United States and Mexico have fostered a solid and binational pro-business environment. Preferential tariffs and North American trade deals have created an efficient infrastructure for moving goods throughout the continent with zero or nominal tariffs, while our respective governments have streamlined regulations allowing businesses to set up operations with minimal obstacles.

Co-Production International (CPI) has announced its upcoming no-cost Baja Manufacturing Tour for April 27, 2018. This quarter’s tour will take attendees inside Foxconn Baja California, Hunter Industries and Scantibodies Laboratory. CPI offers several tours a year, giving manufacturers interested in expanding to Mexico a chance to see the industries up close and learn how to get started south of the border.

When President Donald Trump lands in San Diego for his first trip to California since taking office, he will find a city with a tremendous story to tell on international trade, border infrastructure and public safety.

Lego has started making their building pieces more sustainable. The toy company announced on Thursday that their botanical selections, such as leaves, bushes, and trees, will be made from plant-based plastic. Production has already started on the new pieces and they should be released later this year.