San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer joined with Canadian Consul General James Villeneuve Wednesday to report “tremendous synergy” from a two-day Vancouver trade mission.
“It’s their spirit of innovation and collaboration that really makes me excited about the opportunities ahead,” Faulconer told reporters at the Central Library. “It was a tremendous synergy.”
“It far exceeded my expectations,” said Villeneuve. “I know there’s going to be good results coming out of this.”
Villeneuve, who is based in Los Angeles, and Faulconer spent two days laying the groundwork for more trade and economic growth between the two Pacific-coast cities.
The trip comes ahead of renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, which President Trump originally threatened to cancel outright.
Faulconer said NAFTA was discussed during the trade mission, and San Diego hoped to demonstrate the importance of working closely with Canada and Mexico.
“I view the upcoming discussions in Washington as an opportunity to tell our story,” he said after the press conference.
The trade mission ended with the announcement of new research collaborations, a partnership on clean technology and expansion of a Vancouver-based life sciences company Phoenix Molecular Designs in San Diego.
During the visit, San Diego-based Cubic Corporation announced it has issued 2 million transit cards for the Vancouver public transportation system over the past two years.
“Our efforts to get Canadian and American businesses to invest and create jobs here in San Diego … are really taking hold,” Faulconer said.
