BACKGROUND Economic ties between San Diego and Tijuana are deep and longstanding. For the last two decades, in particular, local leaders, policy makers, and institutions have focused on fostering a bi-national vision to guide the region’s planning and global engagement.2 In recent years, efforts have been made on both sides of the border to not only strengthen the economic ties between Tijuana and San Diego, but take a broader view of the bi-national region that includes the comparatively smaller and unique economies of Imperial County and the rest of Baja California.3 Economic growth, innovation, and competitiveness are central themes at the local and state levels and form part of the national agendas in both countries, particularly as they relate to larger issues of bi-national integration within the context of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). This study provides only a partial understanding of the economic strengths of the CaliBaja region, particularly with regard to export-oriented industries that are most heavily concentrated in the region.
Understanding CaliBaja In the era of globalization, economies are increasingly integrated and interconnected. In this context, public officials, corporate executives, and economic planners have had to look beyond traditional jurisdictional boundaries, like nation-states or even cities to think regionally about the kind of opportunities available to them. As regions have emerged as the centers of global economic activity, policy makers, industry leaders, and local stakeholders in San Diego County, Imperial County, and Baja California have worked closely together to develop an integrated vision of their shared future. To this effect, there are numerous bilateral efforts that contribute to building a strong crossborder community, including the CaliBaja Mega-Region Initiative, San Diego Dialogue, the Smart Border Coalition, the San Diego Association of Governments, and the Border Liaison Mechanisms hosted by the San Diego and Tijuana Consulates. In addition, there are countless organizations, companies, and informal groups on both sides of the border that work to strengthen the bi-national relationship. Thanks to such efforts, a vision of the greater “CaliBaja” mega-region has begun to emerge, which helps to advance cross-border collaboration. Moreover, there is an ample body of research that lends insights into the dynamic nature and enormous potential of the CaliBaja region. This study seeks to add to our understanding of the CaliBaja region by offering insights into the major traded sectors in which the region has particular strengths. As the primary economic drivers of the region, the San Diego and Tijuana metropolitan areas are at the heart of CaliBaja. In 2008, San Diego and Tijuana metropolitan areas were responsible for more than 1.5 million private industry jobs and represented more than 83 2
The Global Engagement of San Diego/Baja California, Final Report, San Diego: San Diego Dialogue, November 2000, http://www.sandiegodialogue.org/pdfs/global%20English.pdf; David A. Shirk, “Regional Success Stories: Strategies for the Global Engagement of the San Diego/Tijuana Region,” San Diego Dialogue-Forum Fronterizo Briefing Paper. April 2000. (La Jolla: San Diego Dialogue, 2000). http://sandiegodialogue.org/pdfs/ffc%20apr%202000.pdf 3 CaliBaja Bi-National Mega-Region Initiative, Cali Baja Bi-National Mega-Region Global Competitiveness Strategy, http://www.calibaja.net/cbdb/lib/GlobalCompetitivenessStrategy.pdf
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