The state of Sonora is adjacent to Arizona and share a common border of 389 miles (626 km) and six ports of entry. Because of its strategic location, during the early 60’s the border city of Nogales, Sonora attracted arguably the nation’s very first “maquiladora” assembly plant. Since then, the number of production facilities has been growing steadily. Now fifty years later the city has over 80 manufacturing companies in the Aerospace, Automotive, Electronics and the Medical fields.

During the second half of the 80’s Ford Motor Company built an automobile assembly plant in Hermosillo, which resulted in the attraction of multiple world-class supplier and created an economic “boom” and transforming the city into a modern and sophisticated metropolis. At present the Ford assembly plant built some 313,000 vehicles a year. The majority of the vehicles built in Hermosillo are shipped via rail to U.S. and Canadian markets. It is important to mention that Nogales has the oldest rail crossing of any border port of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border. Since opening in 1882, the rail has served primarily mining and agricultural industries. At present, and in addition to freighting cars, it also transports bulk commodities such as cement, copper ore, beer and agricultural commodities.

Sonora is also home to the nation’s second largest cluster for aero-engines and some of the players that operate production facilities in the state are Rolls-Royce, GE, Pratt & Whitney. In addition to the aforementioned sectors other industrial clusters include: Metal-Mechanics, Mining, Agribusiness and Information Technology.

Recently, both Governor Doug Ducey of Arizona and Governor Claudia Pavlovich of Sonora has sealed an agreement and pledge to pursuit a joint economic development of what is now being called the Megaregion of Sonora-Arizona. This “single region” partnership seeks to attract investment worldwide, foster economic development and create jobs in both Arizona and Sonora.

The dynamics of cross border trade between Sonora and Arizona, whether by rail and overland trucks through all of its six border port of entry reflect the composite effects of both trade between the United States, Mexico, Canada and the rest of the world.

At present, the State government of Sonora is embarked into the modernization and creation of new infrastructure projects that would boost the competitiveness of the region:

  • The expansion of the deep-water port at Guaymas on the Gulf of California, that would largely benefit Arizona.
  • The modernization and expansion of the Hermosillo International Airport.
  • The upgrade of the Mexican Customs compound in Nogales, since it is the largest overland port for the exportation of fresh produce from Mexico.
  • The all concrete north-south Federal highway 15 that connect US Interstate 19 and the rest of the Mexican Federal highway network. Upon completion by the end of 2018, this state wide – high specifications highway would improve safety and on time delivery of goods.
  • The recently completed new natural gas pipeline that run from the Arizona border and crossed the entire state of Sonora. The immediate impact of this pipeline is the increase in competitiveness of several midsize cities along its way to the southern border with the neighboring state of Sinaloa.