Phoenix is one of 28 U.S. cities selected for the Brookings Institution/JP Morgan Global Cities Initiative and its Exchange – a network of metro areas developing regional strategies to boost global trade and investment. It involves the creation of an integrated export plan and a foreign direct investment plan, designed to forge partnerships between U.S. and international cities. The Exchange should enhance Arizona’s already strong presence in global trade. Of the $22.6 billion in goods Arizona exported to foreign markets in 2015, $9.2 billion was with the state’s top trading partner and neighbor to the south, Mexico. Other leading export markets are Canada ($2.2 billion), China ($1.3 billion), the United Kingdom ($1.1 billion) and Germany ($833 million).
