Federal congresswoman Eva Moreno laid out a comprehensive vision for Baja California’s future during the 2026 Cross-Border Business Summit.
Speaking before an audience of political, social, and business leaders from the region, Moreno argued that as the July review of the free trade agreement with the United States approaches, the state urgently needs a strong border voice to advocate for the interests of Baja Californians.
Her proposal centers on three key pillars: ensuring legal certainty for investors, retaining local talent, and establishing binational leadership capable of managing cross-border relations effectively.
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On the regulatory front, Moreno warned that no company will invest in a region where the rules change every six-year term.
“Baja California needs an environment where the single window works, where business opening times are competitive, and where investors know the rules of the game won’t shift due to political whim,” she said. “The modernization of the Otay II Port of Entry is an example, as it could reduce wait times by up to 40%. That’s not just infrastructure. That’s competitiveness. That’s the argument an operations manager uses to tell corporate: ‘Let’s set up in Tijuana, not in Monterrey.'”
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Human Capital
On human capital, Moreno acknowledged that demand for professionals including engineers, technicians, operators, and logistics staff has already outstripped supply in northern Mexico.
She added that universities and graduates are both available, but no reason has been given for them to stay.
To reverse this trend, the state needs a talent retention strategy that includes competitive wages in advanced manufacturing, affordable housing near industrial parks, and specialized health services within the same city without requiring residents to cross into the United States.
“This is not spending. This is investment with measurable returns,” Moreno asserted.
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Binational Leadership
Moreno stressed that Baja California cannot afford to send a representative to Washington who does not understand the region’s unique cross-border ecosystem.
“Someone who hasn’t negotiated on both sides. Someone who doesn’t understand that decisions here aren’t made only in the state capital or the national capital, they’re also made in San Diego, in Sacramento, in Washington,” she said. “I’ve lived that. Not as theory. As practice.”
Lastly, Moreno noted that Baja California’s place on the global manufacturing map is not the result of government action, but of the businessmen, workers, and families who chose to build here when they could have gone elsewhere.
“To that effort, those of us in public life owe one thing: not to hinder it. And when necessary, to defend it,” she said.
The Cross-Border Business Summit 2026 also featured Reggie Gray, CEO of ICC USA; Rain Wang, Manager of ICC Houston; Daniel García, President of ICC Mex; Javier Covi, founder of Leadership and Innovation in the Longevity Economy; and Grace Zimmerman, a global specialist on U.S. immigration, among others.
