The Mesilla Valley Economic Development (MVEDA) and the Border Industrial Association (BIA) joined the New Mexico Economic Development Department (EDD) on June 30 in hosting a delegation of Taiwanese business executives exploring opportunities in the New Mexico Borderplex region.
The delegation consisted mostly of executives involved in the electric vehicle industry and representatives from the Taiwanese Electronic, Electrical and Mechanical Association, MVEDA said. “Delegation members were exposed to the region’s unique assets that support cross-border manufacturing and logistics and how that fits into their near-shoring and on-shoring strategies for the United States,” according to the news release.
The day included tours of the Santa Teresa area and presentations by state and local officials and business representatives operating in both Santa Teresa and Cuidad Juarez, Mexico.
The Borderplex was one of only three regions across the U.S. the delegation visited, MVEDA said. The visit was designed to gain an understanding of the region’s automobile supply chain and identify potential investment opportunities in Santa Teresa.
“We have been fortunate to recruit three Taiwanese companies in the Santa Teresa industrial base during the past three years,” BIA President Jerry Pacheco told the Las Cruces Bulletin. “Hosting delegations such as this helps keep awareness high in Asia of Santa Teresa’s advantages for manufacturing and logistics.”
“With the growth of companies seeking to onshore their manufacturing to the U.S. and with the supply chain challenges that are prevalent across all industries, the advantages found in the New Mexico Borderplex region are becoming more recognized by international companies,” said MVEDA President and CEO Davin Lopez. “Our proximity to the manufacturing powerhouse of Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua, our growing advanced logistics capabilities, along with our centralized southwest geographical location, enables companies to shorten their supply chains and reach their U.S. customers more efficiently. Our relationship with Taiwan began with the recruitment of Admiral Cable several years ago and their presence in the region has stimulated the curiosity of their peers. We hope to continue to strengthen this relationship with our friends from Taiwan as we move forward,” Lopez said.
“It was a great honor to host the delegation from Taiwan in New Mexico,” said EDD Division Director Mark Roper. “To have them in Doña Ana County first-hand allowed them to directly see the logistical and operating advantages that our proximity to the border offers. This is a continuation of dialogue that began several years ago when the state and our local partners began to aggressively recruit Taiwanese companies to the region, with the relationship expanding last fall when New Mexico became the first state in the U.S. to enter into a MOU (memorandum of understanding) with Taiwan to expand trade.”
Posted July 27, 2022.
