LOS ANGELES – Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez (D-Los Angeles) will lead a bipartisan legislative delegation that will travel to Mexico beginning Wednesday, May 7th to meet with Mexican President Felipe Calderón as well as the nation’s leading business and political leaders. The focus of the mission is to continue strengthening the commercial, cultural and political relationship that exists between California and Mexico.

Núñez will be joined by Assemblymembers Joe Coto (D-San Jose) and Kevin DeLeón (D- Los Angeles) and Senator Abel Maldonado (R-Santa Maria). The visit is a result of Calderón’s invitation to visit Mexico City after the Mexican president spoke before a joint session of the legislature on February 13, 2008.

Cooperation on economic issues has continued to prove vital to the economic vitality of both California and Mexico. Mexico is the largest market for exports of California-made goods and has been California’s main trading partner since 1999. California exported $19.6 billion worth of goods to Mexico in 2006, accounting for 15 percent of California’s overall goods export. In 2006, California’s total gross state product was $1.7 trillion. Mexico’s gross domestic product in 2007 was $1.35 trillion. For every $1 billion of California exports to Mexico, 14,000 to 16,000 higher paying jobs are created.

Speaker Núñez will focus as well in promoting California’s growing green economy and technology.

“It is critical that California continue to have a strong relationship with Mexico,” said Núñez. “Our delegation will help continue to foster a mutually beneficial relationship to bolster the economic prosperity of both California and Mexico.”

According to the 2000 census, 8.4 million California residents are of Mexican descent, and 40 percent of the population in Southern California, between Los Angeles and the Mexican border, speaks Spanish.