MATT Foundation – Bordernomics study

Challenge

Cross-border trade plays an essential role in the economy of the ten states that fall along both sides of the US-Mexico border. As growing anti-trade sentiment in the US threatened long-standing global trade agreements, including NAFTA, The Mexicans and Americans Thinking Together (MATT) Foundation commissioned a study in 2017 to quantify the impacts of trade on the economies of the border states and assess opportunities and challenges in promoting greater integration.

Response

TIP’s president, Tracye McDaniel, in partnership with Dr. Ray Perryman of The Perryman Group, led a year-long project that brought together business leaders and government officials on both sides of the US-Mexico border. The team facilitated a dozen focus groups that brought together 150 individuals to provide insights into the benefits and challenges of cross-border cooperation in a first-of-its-kind study. The project team recommended the creation of an umbrella organization, the Bordernomics Alliance, to lead binational coordination and partnership initiatives supporting greater prosperity in the US-Mexico border region. The team outlined short and long-term actions for MATT and for the development of the Bordernomics Alliance. Tracye guided this process through the various stages which included capacity building, leadership recruitment, and coordination across all ten border states. She also oversaw fundraising, brand development, and strategic advisory services in the formation of the cross-border umbrella organization. While the Bordernomics organization was not ultimately formalized, the work led to a greater understanding of the benefits of enhancing economic integration among the border states.