Arizona boosts international trade with SkyBridge

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has announced the launch of SkyBridge Arizona at the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, an international air logistics center that will help shape the future of consumer supply chains in the United States and internationally.

It’s a big deal for Arizona and it is a big deal for U.S.-Mexico trade, says Jessica Pacheco, president of the Board of Directors of the Arizona-Mexico Commission.

“With SkyBridge, products can reach markets all over Mexico in a matter of hours instead of days by other modes of transportation,” Pacheco said.

The Wall Street Journal has recently reported that airfreight traffic climbed nearly 9% yearover-year in November 2017 to meet the demands of the booming e-commerce industry. The existing air-cargo industry can hardly keep up, and the competition is fierce.

The launch of SkyBridge is Arizona’s way of stepping up to the plate as a national leader in this sector, Pacheco said.

“Arizona’s proximity to Mexico and our business-friendly environment makes our state a natural hub for air-cargo companies, large and small, eager to grow their business on both sides of the border. And, Arizona knows how to do business with Mexico,” she said.

Pacheco said the new project is the next step in addressing changing market dynamics. The capital investment and job creation generated by SkyBridge – coupled with the implementation of the Customs program known as U n i f i e d Cargo Processing (UCP), a joint U.S.-Mexico effort to streamline the movement of goods b e t w e e n the two c o u n t r i e s – positions.

Arizona as the ideal gateway for international goods delivered by air. SkyBridge Arizona will be first significant location in the country where U.S. and Mexican customs officials will work side-byside to streamline air-cargo transactions – moving goods faster, while supporting the e-commerce industry and strengthening our international trade relationship with Mexico.