Asia trip yields $685 million in new Baja plants

Governor calls trip there 'fruitful'

TIJUANA – Baja California's governor returned home from a trip to Asia bringing good news at a time when a binational blackout and the temporary closure of the border crossing has shaken up the region's economy.

Gov. José Guadalupe Osuna announced Thursday that during his trip to Asia earlier this month various companies committed to investing a total of$685 million to open plants in the state and generate a total of 3,070 new jobs.

"This visit was very fruitful for the state because it stimulated these Asian companies to invest more in Baja California," the governor said.

In a statement, the state Secretary of Economic Development, Alejandro Mungaray, said the governor had met with Toyota executives to ratify the state's agreement with the automaker to increase vehicle production in Tijuana.

Toyota has announced plans to assemble a new model on the border, in addition to the Tacoma pickup that it already produces.

Mungaray said that the governor also met in Japan with directors of Sharp who had agreed to invest in the production of solar panels at its plant in Rosarito Beach, in addition to generating 200 jobs in the production of TV sets.

Osuna then traveled to Seoul, where he and Mexico's ambassador to Japan, Claude Heller, agreed to work together to identify new investments and business opportunities in South Korea.

In addition, they worked with Samsung to attract two new providers, who would invest $19 million and create 350 jobs for Tijuana, the secretary said.

Also in South Korea, the governor presented the leadership of the Hyundai Motor Co., with an incentive plan to expand the presence of that carmaker in Baja California through a project called "Aluminum Die Cast" that calls for a $100 million investment, which would generate 500 jobs in Tijuana.

The state delegation visited the renewable energy company Arima EcoEnergy Technology, which earlier had committed to producing solar cells and generating energy, making an eventual investment of $539.9 million in Baja California and creating 2,020 new jobs in Mexicali, Mungaray said.

The governor's office earlier had announced the deal with Arima, saying that the company would also generate energy that would be available to both sides of the border.

The state government opened an office in Taipei, Taiwan, to promote Baja California in Asia. And the governor attended the signing of the agreement between the state and Arima, which will put Mexicali on the leading edge of the manufacturing of solar cells.

Omar.millan@sandiegred.com

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