Connection: Mexico Matters

Whether it’s with apples, potatoes or computers, Mexico makes a major trading partner for Washington and Idaho.

And what happens to the economy there will be felt here in industries across the board.

That’s one reason Washington Gov. Gary Locke traveled south last summer with a delegation of nearly 100 representatives of the state’s agriculture, technology, energy, education and timber industries.

It’s also why Ed Brooks, international marketing director for the Washington Apple Commission, is keeping an eye on the country’s economy.

“Mexico is extremely important for us,” Brooks said. “In the last few years it has been either our first or second largest export partner in terms of volume and second in terms of value after Taiwan.”

Before Mexico’s 1993-94 election, the country was buying 8 million boxes of apples, but in the economic aftermath, the country cut its purchases by half.

Still, the apple commission is hoping that with this election, Mexico has stabilized enough to buck the trend.

While Mexico usually ranks among the top 20 trading partners for the state, business there is better measured in number of transactions rather than dollars.

“In dollars, Mexico is not one of the top ones because our exports are small,” said Elsa Trail, spokeswoman for Washington State Community Trade and Economic Development. “But there are many companies who do business with Mexico.”

She estimates that Mexico ranks among the top five in number of Washington companies it works with.

In the first three quarters of 1999, Washington industry reported $297.4 million in export trade to Mexico.