The creation of more jobs and exports from San Diego to Canada are two of the main objectives that led Mayor Kevin Faulconer, along with a group of more than 22 companies, along with public and private groups to make a two day visit.

In 2015 alone, exports from San Diego to Canada were worth $920 million, making Canada the city of San Diego’s second largest trading partner.

“Cross-border trade with Mexico is important for San Diego businesses, but Canada is our second largest trading partner and we have opportunities that have not yet been exploited there,” said San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer. “It is about strengthening our economic ties and establishing new trade connections with Vancouver, a city like ours that has more and more innovation and clean technology sectors.”

Another goal for this trip is to implement the use of new environmentally-minded technologies, an issue that the City of San Diego seeks to improve on based on Canada’s examples.

“Clean technologies are very important to the City of San Diego, we are building a path in favor of the environment and helping the ecosystem, so we want to ensure that San Diego is clean and safe for anyone who wants to come and visit”, said Francis Barraza, director of Appointments and Special Projects of the City of San Diego.

On June 26 and 27, the City of San Diego participated in agreements and meetings ranging from transportation programs, collaborations with Canadian universities, business growth in sustainable technologies, and photos of smart cities and leadership.

From Canada, the mayor announced the arrival of new projects that included the expansion of a biotechnology company that works to stop cancer, which already plans to start operations in San Diego, and the research partnership of sustainable universities between UC San Diego, San Diego State University, and the University of British Columbia.

The San Diego delegation in Canada included representatives from nonprofit organizations, startups, private companies, The Port of San Diego, and county airport authorities.