San Diego, CA

How tariffs could impact San Diego’s regional economy

Published

1 year ago

February 4, 2025

How tariffs could impact San Diego’s regional economy

Above: Nexstar Media Wire video on what tariffs are.

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — President Donald Trump agreed Monday to delay the tariffs on Canada and Mexico as the leaders of the United States’ closest neighbors negotiated over illegal immigration and drug trafficking strategies.

Trump agreed to pause the 25% tariffs, which were implemented Saturday, for 30 days. However, the financial threat of the tariffs and a potential trade war still looms over CaliBaja, the largest economic zone along the U.S.-Mexico border in which San Diego County lies.

“We know that this will be a volatile period for the North American supply chains that enable this region to compete globally. We have been here before,” said Dr. Nikia Clarke, the chief strategy officer for San Diego Regional Economic Development Center, in a statement to FOX 5/KUSI Tuesday. “Here in San Diego, from medical devices to semiconductors and consumer goods, our supply chains are so integrated that 40% of what we import from Mexico was made by American workers in the first place.”

She added, “Our job in this moment is to be agile and creative in helping firms of every size—who have played by the rules and made significant investments in this country and its neighbors—to navigate uncertainty, continue to reach their customers and suppliers, and maintain jobs and supply chains in our most critical industries.”

CaliBaja is comprised of San Diego and Imperial counties plus six Mexican cities in Baja California (Ensenada, Mexicali, Rosarito, San Quintin, Tecate and Tijuana).

According to a study by the University of San Diego’s Ahlers Center for International Business in 2022, CaliBaja has a regional GDP of $250 billion and an estimated $70 billion in cross border trade flows.

The study used a “Location Quotient (LQ)” methodology to identify high performing industries in the region. LQs compare the concentration of an industry nationwide versus within a specific geographic location, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In 2018, there were more than 33,000 firms across 70 different industries in CaliBaja that met the “High LQ” threshold of 1.5 or above. Together, these firms employed 657,598 individuals.

Furthermore, the study found much of the CaliBaja’s manufacturing capability was from the Mexican side. In 2018, Tijuana had 41 industries with a High LQ and Mexicali had 49, while San Diego had 35.

Manufacturing of audio and video equipment, medical equipment and supplies, and semiconductors or other electronic components are among the key industries in the region, the study showed.

Alan Gin, an economics professor at the University of San Diego, told FOX 5/KUSI last week (before the pause went into effect) Trump’s plan to implement tariffs could violate the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement signed in 2020.

“The worry is that if the U.S. goes against this agreement, that other countries in the future would be wondering what’s the value then of having some agreement with the U.S.,” Gin said.

For now, it remains unclear just how much these industries will be affected by Trump’s tariffs when the 30-day pause period ends and how much those impacts will be felt across San Diego County.

The Otay Mesa Chamber of Commerce will host a free emergency webinar Friday for businesses to discuss legal challenges and next steps regarding the tariffs. The webinar will take place between 12:30 and 1:30 p.m.

Despite the 30-day pause on tariffs imposed on Mexico and Canada, the 10% tariff on China went into effect Tuesday as planned.

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San Diego, CA

San Diego’s 6-month streak of a falling jobless rate comes to an end

Published

3 hours ago

July 17, 2026

Press Room

SAN DIEGO — San Diego County saw its six-month streak of a falling unemployment rate come to an end in June, as teachers went on summer recess, but the region still managed to eke out a small net gain in job growth last month. The latest figures from the state Employment Development Department show a jobless rate of 4.4%, up from 3.9% in May, but still lower than the county’s year-ago rate of …

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San Diego, CA

Daily Business Report: July 17, 2026, San Diego Metro Magazine

Published

15 hours ago

July 17, 2026

Press Room

Letter to the Editor: Apartment Vacancy Rates Paint an Incomplete Picture

By David Malcolm | Voice of San Diego

In last Saturday’s “Politics Report,” Will Huntsberry tackled the thorny issue of apartment vacancy rates (apparently the highest in this century) and the impact on affordability. He also correctly wrote that the city of San Diego needs “strategies beyond build, build, build.”

What’s Really Happening

My company owns and operates apartment rental complexes in San Diego County (San Marcos, Encinitas, La Jolla, El Cajon and South Bay) and in Temecula (Riverside County). Here is what we are seeing.

Base rents are stable … but offers of two months’ free rent are common. That is a de facto 16.7 percent reduction on annualized rents. Reducing base rents is not possible in the face of rent control measures and, even more importantly, bank loan covenants. Thus, concessions like two months’ free rent are not hard to find.

New study shows promising step forward in improving Parkinson’s treatment

by Nicole Abrams | Times of San Diego

A small molecule was found to increase the benefits and reduce the side effects of the standard drug for Parkinson’s disease, according to a new study from UC San Diego startup called Sinopia Biosciences.

L-dopa or levodopa is the main treatment for Parkinson’s disease, but its benefits wane over time and can cause involuntary movements called dyskinesia. About 90% of patients with Parkinson’s disease develop dyskinesia in 9 or more years of using L-dopa, and 70% develop motor fluctuations in 9 or more years of using the drug, according to the study.

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San Diego, CA

EXCLUSIVE: Ignition Press Welcomes eBay Live & Revenge Of to San Diego Comic-Con Ignition Pavilion

Published

1 day ago

July 16, 2026

Press Room

The Ignition Press – Ignition Pavilion is leveling up in a big way for San Diego Comic-Con this year.

Following last year’s successful debut, Ignition Press is expanding its offsite with several major new partners, transforming the Ignition Pavilion into a hub for comics, collectibles, livestream shopping, food, and drinks. The free experience at the San Diego Wine & Culinary Center (200 Harbor Dr.) will now feature activations from eBay Live and Revenge Of, alongside the return of Seven Seas Roasting Company and several new fan experiences.

One of the biggest additions this year is a dedicated eBay Live selling lounge, where livestreams will broadcast throughout the convention, bringing Comic-Con to fans around the world.

Stop by throughout the week to find live sketches and signings with comic legends Bill Sienkiewicz (hosted by Big Clutch) and Jim Lee (hosted by ANZ Collects), while Storage Wars star Rene Nezhoda will showcase a rare PSA-pedigreed collection of vintage, Silver Age, and Bronze Age comics.

Fans can also tune in for the debut of an exclusive DC x eBay Live Absolute Batman & Absolute Catwoman connecting cover, shop signed Ignition Press SDCC exclusives, rare comics, and other collectibles, and catch appearances from fan-favorite creators and influencers throughout the weekend.

The Pavilion also welcomes Los Angeles lifestyle brand Revenge Of, making its San Diego Comic-Con debut with a curated comics and pop culture experience, while its sister company, FTB.Design, is handling the Pavilion’s production design.

“Both eBay Live and Revenge Of TV are going to give both fans onsite and at home the opportunity to get in on special programming and chances to get SDCC exclusive merchandise,” said Creative Director Jeremy Haun. “We’re doing something new, big, and different here at the Ignition Pavilion. You’re not going to want to miss it.”

Coffee lovers can once again grab a free drink from Seven Seas Roasting Company between 12pm-4pm, Thursday through Sunday, by signing up for the Ignition Insiders newsletter. The first 200 fans each day can redeem a voucher for coffee, espresso drinks, chai, or tea.

Later each afternoon (Thursday-Saturday, 5pm-7pm), the coffee bar transforms into the Ignition Pavilion Happy Hour, serving themed cocktails, beer, wine, mocktails, and complimentary drink tickets with qualifying purchases. Fans can also preorder a limited-edition bottle of Ignition Proof Rum, created in partnership with Los Angeles distillery The Obscure.

The Ignition Pavilion is free and open to the public at the following times: