SPRINGFIELD — Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday said his trade mission to Mexico this week was an opportunity to cast Illinois as “a stable and reliable trade partner” at a time of economic uncertainty as President Donald Trump places tariffs on goods from the southern border nation, Canada and ot her countries around the world. Speaking to reporters on a video call from Mexico City, the governor touted the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the state of Mexico, the entity that surrounds Mexico City, to strengthen its trade relationship with Illinois in the areas of manufacturing, agriculture and supply chains. Pritzker said his delegation heard from manufacturing companies deemed key players in the energy supply chain that are interested in bringing production facilities to Illinois. He said the delegation spoke to over 100 representatives from more than 50 major Mexican companies about bringing operations to Illinois. “There’s so much that sets apart our state. Our abundant land and water resources, our infrastructure, our location in the middle of the country, the fact that we produce more electricity than we use in our state,” Pritzker said. “My team and I will be working tirelessly in the coming months to track down every single lead and bring every dollar of potential investment for our communities that has resulted from this visit to Mexico. The conversations and connections that began here will carry forward throughout our work to make ours the best state in the nation to live, work, raise a family and build a business.” The trip by Pritzker, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and a delegation of business, civic and government leaders follows similar trade missions led by the governor in recent years to Canada, Japan, Switzerland, Germany and the United Kingdom to showcase Illinois for the potential to attract international business. Stratton told reporters she met with agricultural leaders during the trip to discuss how to bolster Illinois’ trade partnerships and emphasize how agriculture “connects us all even across borders.” She also said she led talks on business development meetings, resulting in “meaningful talks of expansion in Illinois,” while also acknowledging the economic challenges that lie ahead. “We all know that these are uncertain times, and to be honest that’s not great for business. But instead of turning away in uncertainty, we need to turn toward each other to solve problems, and that’s why the time spent face to face, fostering relationships and reaffirming our partnership and friendship with Mexico is so very important,” Stratton said. Pritzker’s update on the trade mission comes the same day Trump announced a baseline tax of 10% on imports from every country and higher tariff rates on a number of nations running trade surpluses with the U.S., according to The Associated Press. The move, according to the news agency, could lead to trade wars and threatens to aggravate the global economy. The governor, an outspoken foe of Trump, reiterated his stance that tariffs are “really a tax on working families” and that they’re not good for the economy and may lead to a recession in the U.S. “Here in Mexico, there is deep concern. Let’s start with just the concern that the tariffs seem so broad-based and not well-negotiated or thought out that they will potentially destroy some businesses in Mexico that U.S. companies rely upon,” said Pritzker, who is mulling a possible run for the White House in 2028. “The uncertainty that we’ve heard over and over again in the discussions with our Mexican counterparts is going to lead to them pulling back on making investments and potentially pulling back on providing the supply items that our U.S. businesses need.” “We couldn’t allay those concerns but what we could do was remind them that in Illinois we are a stable and reliable trade partner in Illinois, and that when things settle down … it will do well for them to do business with our companies in Illinois,” the governor said. Senate Minority Leader John Curran speaks after being reelected to his position on Jan. 8, 2025, at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Illinois opened an office in Mexico in 1989 to strengthen its business relationship with the country, and Illinois has worked over the years to expand trade with Mexico through initiatives such as Illinois’ State Trade and Export Promotion program, according to the governor’s office. The office also said trade between Illinois and Mexico exceeded $32 billion last year, making Mexico the second-largest export market for Illinois. Mexico is also Illinois’ third-largest import market, with the state importing billions of dollars in beverages, transportation and electronics, the office said. In Springfield, Illinois Senate Republican leader John Curran said anything that would increase investment, trade activity and business growth for the state is a positive thing and that manufacturing and agriculture are “two incredibly important” sectors that need to thrive in Illinois. He also stressed the value of Mexico as a trading partner for the state. But he said the governor probably would’ve been better served “making this a bipartisan trip.” “We certainly want our trading partner, Mexico, to understand that there is bipartisan support in economic activity, in working together between the state of Illinois and businesses in Mexico, and we want that to grow and thrive,” said Curran, of Downers Grove. ...read more read less