Arizona’s historic mining industry is among the most abundant on the planet, producing copper, lead and zinc that make the world go round.

Freeport-McMoran, ASARCO, Newmont, Rio Tinto, Taseko, Hudbay, South32, these are the industry giants investing billions of dollars in state-of-the-art operations here. As the demand for metals rises along with the world’s population, Arizona is positioned to reap the economic benefits.

Arizona’s border state, Sonora, Mexico, is a large producer of silver, putting it in a similar position.

Tariff-free trade is essential to their continued viability, Harry “Red” Conger, president and chief operating officer-Americas for Freeport-McMoRan, Inc., told a large crowd of business leaders and policy makers at the 60th Anniversary Summit of the Arizona-Mexico Commission (AMC) in Phoenix.

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