Businesses Along The Border: Valuing The Economic Importance Of Proximity To Mexico

Speaker of the House John Boehner, and many who oppose engaging on Immigration Reform in Congress, have said that they cannot move forward on the issue until the violence on the border is secured. As we have since learned, border communities in places like El Paso are actually much safer then the speakers own home state of Ohio.

What has been missing from the current debate over the Border, has been the very real economic benefits that come from being next door to our 2nd largest trading partner. Richard Dayoub, of the El Paso Chamber of Commerce, does an excellent job of outlining the important economic benefits that Mexico provides to his city:

Money from Mexican nationals has also had real effects on the value of the retail market in El Paso. Some studies estimate that the percentage retail value of Mexican nationals' purchasing power in El Paso is 18 to 22 percent of the total market. Our proximity to Mexico has also created huge trade dividends nationally. Last year, alone, more than $71 billion in trade passed through El Paso. Texas is the largest trade partner with Mexico, but it is not just states along the border that benefit.

Dayoub also notes that Mexico was the United States largest trading partner for five of the U.S. States last year:

Mexico was the top trading partner for five of the 50 U.S. states last year -- Texas, California, Arizona, New Mexico and New Hampshire. Mexico ranked as the No. 2 trading partner for 17 states and No. 3 for six. Thirty-seven of the states have experienced growth in exports to Mexico over the last five years, 28 of which realized growth of at least 25 percent. Fourteen additional states experienced more than 50-percent growth in exports to Mexico during this period.

What's more trade with Mexico has proven to be a job grower for individual states in America:

Another example of the importance of our trade relations with Mexico is job creation. It is estimated that 11,500 jobs in North Carolina and 13,000 jobs in Pennsylvania are directly attributed to trade with Mexico. Mexico ranks No. 3 in total trade with the United States behind Canada and China. Our proximity to Mexico has created enormous economic benefits for El Paso, the state and the national economy. The single most important thing that the president said in his remarks is that we can no longer afford to not fix our immigration policies.

What all of this important economic data underscores is the fact that the border is safe. It is difficult to advance the notion that the border is a war zone, or intrinsically dangerous place when there is in fact billions of dollars of goods moved thru ports of entry daily. The more the economic reality of our ports of entry and the border itself enter into the national debate on immigration, the harder it becomes to advance the notion that the region is out of control.

The full op-ed can be read here.