SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Oct. 25, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Gov. Spencer Cox met with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Economy in Mexico to present a new strategic plan that will strengthen Utah’s alliance with Mexico, his office announced Wednesday.
In both meetings, the initiative was well-received and aligns closely with the goals of both ministries, the news release says.
“Our relationship with Mexico is the most important international alliance Utah has,” Cox said in a released statement. “We have long enjoyed economic and diplomatic connections that have been mutually beneficial and this plan will only strengthen our ties.”
The Joint Utah Mexico Partnership (JUMP) is an initiative from the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity and the Mexican Consulate in Salt Lake City. JUMP provides 12 key recommendations to improve Utah’s relationship with Mexico across four priority areas: business and trade, workforce and talent, culture and belonging, and foreign language acquisition.
According to the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, trade with Mexico supports 51,000 Utah jobs and totaled $5.6 billion in 2022. Mexico is Utah’s largest import partner and third largest export partner. There are nearly 340,000 Mexicans and people of Mexican descent in Utah, which is approximately 10% of the state’s population. The Mexican Consulate is the oldest consulate in Utah, and will be celebrating its 111th anniversary in November.
Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alicia Bárcena has voiced her support for JUMP and looks forward to a continued and fruitful partnership with the state of Utah.
“We celebrate this type of initiative. It’s important that we make the most of the excellent state of Mexico-U.S. relations to deepen our economic ties and build together a true binational and regional community that increases trade, social inclusion and job creation,” Foreign Minister Alicia Bárcena said in the prepared statement.
See the Joint Utah Mexico Partnership plan below.
