Port Tariffs Lowered to Equal Lázaro Cárdenas

 

by Maureen Dietrich

19 Mar 15 

mazmessenger.com

Sinaloa Governor announced tariffs in the port of Mazatlán will now be equal to those of Lázaro Cárdenas.

Media reported yesterday Sinaloa Governor Mario López Valdez saying his government had a problem with tariffs at Mazatlán´s port being double those of the port of Lázaro Cárdenas in Michoacán and that Nissan car company officials had advised him Japan would not permit moving their operation from the Michoacán port to Mazatlán for that reason.

At the press conference, the Governor then announced tariffs in the port of Mazatlán will now be equal to those of Lázaro Cárdenas. The cost will now be competitive for Nissan, and for BMW and Ford motor companies which have also expressed interest in making Mazatlán their port of origin and destination for import and export of their vehicles.

He went on to say he understood that Nissan will reactivate its project to make Mazatlán its main port for import and export of cars, although he did not know what date the company would begin operations.

Today, media reported director of the port, Alfonso Gil Díaz, said he has yet to hear from the Director of the Nissan corporation.

In November, 2014, the Sinaloa government confirmed the Japanese company would use the port of Mazatlán to move 90,000 vehicles annually beginning January, 2015.

Alfonso Gil commented that Nissan is the largest of the car companies interested in operating out of Mazatlán but that Ford has also expressed an interest to move 13,000 vehicles a year. He hoped the port will also attract BMW and Jaguar corporations.

(from Noroeste)

US Highways Now Open to Mexico Long-Haul Trucking

Associated Press
January 16, 2015

After a three year safety evaluation of Mexican trucking companies, the US Department of Transportation has determined that Mexican long-haul operations are as safe as US and Canadian trucking companies.

Mexico City, Mexico — The US has begun accepting applications from Mexican trucking companies seeking authorization for long-haul, cross-border transportation under the North American Free Trade agreement.

The State Department says the policy change is "a significant milestone" in the implementation of NAFTA and will end retaliatory sanctions.

It comes after a three-year pilot program to evaluate the safety of Mexican truck companies that ended in October. Fifteen Mexican companies took part, crossing the border over 28,000 times and logging more than 1.5 million miles in the United States.

US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said Thursday in a statement that the pilot showed Mexican long-haul companies are as safe as US and Canadian trucking operations.

American long-haul companies have been operating in Mexico under NAFTA since 2007.

Original Story

Amazon Distribution Center to Open in México

by Murry Page

29 Nov 14  

mazmessenger.com

 

México will see its first Amazon distribution center, when it opens in Cuautitlan Izcalli in the state of México.

Marcos Pueyrredon, Vice President Latin America VTEX and president of the Latin American Institute of Electronic Commerce, said the arrival of Amazon will be in two parts. The first will occur during the first six months of 2015 when the distribution center is being built. During the second half of the year Amazon will begin shipping its products from the new distribution center.

Albert Serrano, country manager of Privaliaen México, said that Amazon will have a full range of products currently available in the United States.

(from El Diario)

US, Mexico and Canada, the world’s dynamic region

theolympian.com

October 13, 2014  

Even with all of our domestic concerns, it’s a big world out there, and America must keep at least one eye focused beyond our borders. But maybe not as far beyond, says a new report from the Council on Foreign Relations.

The U.S. could do itself a world of good by deepening its integration and cooperation among its closest neighbors, Canada and Mexico, and building on the foundation of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

A key sector is energy, and the time is right, with Mexico pushing forward on long-needed reform and the U.S. and Canada extracting more oil and natural gas. A united North America has the resources and know-how to become the world’s most dynamic region, with energy leading the way.

The report, “North America: Time for a New Focus,” came from a group led by former CIA Director David Petraeus and former World Bank President Robert Zoellick. Shannon K. O'Neil, a council senior fellow for Latin American studies, directed the project. “The road to North America’s global dynamism runs through Texas,” she said.

These are words on paper, for now, but the report does offer a path to greater prosperity that connects opportunities and challenges.

Importantly, it encourages stronger energy ties among the three nations. That includes increased U.S. pipeline capacity, including the long-delayed approval of the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada to refineries on Texas’ Gulf Coast.

Similarly, the U.S. must support Mexican efforts to open its oil and gas sector to outside investment. The stumbling block is Mexico’s weak rule of law and inability so far to beat back the drug cartels that hold sway over large, energy-rich areas.

The report also includes a call to ease travel restrictions and for the U.S. to pass “comprehensive federal immigration reform that secures U.S. borders, prevents illegal entry, provides visas on the basis of economic need, invites talented and skilled people to settle … and offers a pathway to legalization for undocumented immigrants now in the United States.”

Obviously, this has proved to be a heavy lift in Washington despite bipartisan support, but here’s another reason it’s vital.

Ultimately, the point isn’t whether these recommendations are likely or even possible. It’s that the U.S., Canada and Mexico sacrifice far more than they gain by not making the effort.

The Dallas Morning News

Read more here: http://www.theolympian.com/2014/10/13/3362550/us-mexico-and-canada-the-worlds.html?sp=/99/109/#storylink=cpy

I-11, intermountain west corridor study is complete; Mexico to Canada route

Written by Joyce Kuzmanic  

October 12, 2014

stgeorgeutah.com

 

PHOENIX — More than two years ago, Arizona and Nevada set out on a study to determine the possibilities and benefits of developing a new interstate corridor to connect Phoenix and Las Vegas, while extending south to Mexico and north through Nevada, potentially reaching as far as Canada.

Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor proposal map. | Image courtesy of Arizona and Nevada Departments of Transportation, St. George News |  Click on image to enlarge

The goal of the study was not just to find a way to directly connect these two major metropolitan areas by building a new highway, but to develop a plan and the necessary infrastructure to position the two states for broader success in the global marketplace.

The Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study is now complete and points to the need for a new multimodal freight corridor and a manufacturing belt that will drive trade, commerce, job growth and economic development for the two states and facilitate strong connections to other major regional markets.

“Transportation is a primary driver of commerce, jobs and tourism,” Arizona Governor Jan Brewer said. “This is why Interstate 11 is such a critical investment in our future, as it opens new possibilities for our state while connecting communities and economies.”

Today the State Transportation Board reviewed and accepted the recommendations documented in the Corridor Concept Report, the final element in this initial two-year feasibility study. This report, along with all the study’s documents and information, can be found at i11study.com.

“Interstate 11 represents one of those major corridors that would provide access to international markets to the north and south of Arizona and to the east and west of us,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “I-11 is part of our plan for Arizona’s Key Commerce Corridors, which requires investment in our transportation infrastructure to ensure the necessary connectivity to other major markets. Arizona’s global competitiveness depends directly on our ability to move people, products and services quickly and efficiently. We need our highway corridors to get us there.”

The recommended I-11 corridor would likely follow U.S. Highway 93 from the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge south to Wickenburg, running west of the Phoenix metropolitan area, and then generally following Interstate 10 and Interstate 19 through southern Arizona to the Mexican border. I-11 is envisioned as a continuous high-capacity trade corridor extending from Nogales to Las Vegas and potentially north toward Canada that will support a high proportion of large-scale manufacturing operations located throughout the corridor with a major focus on reliable movement of freight traffic. As a multimodal corridor, it also has the potential to include freight and passenger rail, energy transmission and other high-tech facilities.

There is currently no schedule or funding to build Interstate 11. The next phase of the study process — the environmental impact statement — is also not funded.

For more information about the Interstate 11 study, visit i11study.com.

First Maz Logistic Park to Open 31st of October

by Maureen Dietrich

7 Oct 14 

mazmessenger.com

 

The first logistic park being built south of the city in front of the thermoelectric plant in La Sirena on the Mazatlán-Villa Union corridor could be inaugurated on October 31, said Re/max Sunset Eagle Director General Flavio Isaac Michel Sánchez.

Michel Sánchez, whose real estate company is participating along with Los Mochis contractor Gubasa in building the park, told reporters the first phase of the park which consists of 40 bodegas is 90 percent complete. The park will offer 230 storage units when finished.

The object of the park, said Michel Sánchez, is to offer advantages to local and foreign businesses considering investing in Mazatlán in the form of produce and equipment storage, distribution, trailer maintenance, small industry assembly plants or central distribution points.

Among the first clients are Sinaloa businessmen from Culiacán and Mazatlán, but given the connection with the Economic Corridor of the North they expect in a short time to attract businesses from Nuevo León, Chihuahua, Durango and Jalisco.

 (from Noroeste)

The Status of Mazatlán’s Port

by Murry Page

22 Aug 14 

mazmessenger.com

 

November 9, 2012, was a very special day for the Port Authority of Mazatlán, as Chilean company, SAAM Group, represented by the Terminal Maritima Mazatlán, S.A. de C.V. (TMAZ), began operations at the Port of Mazatlán to handle the loading and unloading of goods, warehouses and yards of the multipurpose terminal port.

Mauricio Ortiz Medina, Commercial Director of TMAZ, told the newspaper RíoDoce that almost two years after it took over operations of the port, the port has failed to attract the big cargo ships that were envisioned. He also noted that the Mazatlán-Durango highway was supposed to open shortly after the contract was signed, but was delayed for over a year.

TMAZ has invested over $25 million in the city’s port with the expectation of meeting the needs of a Deepwater port and the connectivity of the Durango-Mazatlán-Matamoros highway Federal authorities promised, but continual postponements have resulted in the port not being as profitable as was expected.

In the 21 months TMAZ has operated the port it has improved port infrastructure and in February of this year opened dock number six, which is part of the installations required for so-called mother ships, which have not called on the port because the channel does not have a sufficient depth to receive those ships.

Mauricio Ortiz said after the opening of the Mazatlán-Durango highway TMAZ expected the commercial cargo to increase given the huge investment the federal government had made. They expected an economic improvement in the country’s economic northern corridor, since all the cargo coming from Asia would pass through Sinaloa and Durango, the road being a logistics node. But the reality has turned out to be different.

“To be a logistical node it must have the characteristics of competitiveness and so far we have seen that the road has had a very positive impact on the tourism, as is seen in hotel occupancy in Mazatlán; but that same growth has not been reflected in the growth of commercial cargo,” the Director said.

TMAZ has installed two cranes, which has increased the efficiency of the port by 50 percent, but, says Mauricio Ortiz, “until you reach the big ships, there are not the cargo volumes that need these cranes.”

In an interview with RíoDoce Mauricio Ortiz said that so far the federal government has not released the funds needed to continue the work of dredging or even given a date when the funds will be delivered. He added that although there is movement of cargo at the port, it is not what is wanted.

Mauricio Ortiz added, “In order to be competitive we need a world class port. Today the port of Mazatlán is receiving vessels with a maximum length of 225 meters. It is essential that resources appear so we can proceed with the dredging.”

“First we need to remove the stone in the navigation channel, which will allow a vessel of greater draft; we need to deepen the channel to 15 meters at least.”

“The port is ready; we want to make the Mazatlán port a benchmark in the Mexican Pacific coast.”

(from RíoDoce)

Mexico, China plan railroad link to NM border

abqjournal.com

By Lauren Villagran / Journal Staff Writer - Las Cruces Bureau
PUBLISHED: Thursday, July 31, 2014 at 10:32 am

A Chinese development company has inked plans to build a railroad linking Mexico’s Pacific coast with an industrial hub just south of New Mexico’s Santa Teresa port of entry, according to the newspaper El Diario de Chihuahua.

The newspaper reports that Chihuahua Gov. César Duarte signed an agreement on Wednesday with developer China Hyway Group Ltd., the China Development Bank and other investors to construct the rail line between Nayarit state on Mexico’s west coast and San Jerónimo, an industrial development at the western edge of Ciudad Juárez.

San Jerónimo is home to the Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Foxconn and is expected to become the sprawling border city’s next area of expansion.
Just north of San Jerónimo lies New Mexico’s fast-growing industrial enclave of Santa Teresa, where Union Pacific recently opened a major rail yard and terminal.

Duarte, who announced the deal alongside Nayarit Gov. Roberto Sandoval in Beijing, said the project will spur development at the San Jerónimo-Santa Teresa port of entry.

Work is expected to begin by year end, according to the report.

Peña Nieto visits Portugal

Friday, 06 June 2014 01:10

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

thenews.com.mx

President seeking clean energy investment

BY MAURILIO SOTO

The News

Portuguese President Aníbal Cavaco da Silva met with President Enrique Peña Nieto Thursday, during the Mexican leader’s first official visit to the country.

After the public ceremonial event the two leader were set to hold a private meeting.

Mexico and Portugal will sign trade agreements, which Peña Nieto says will boost social development, job creation and economic dynamism in both countries.

The last Mexican president to visit Portugal was Ernesto Zedillo in 1998.

Peña Nieto stressed the importance of the opportunity Portuguese companies have to invest in Mexican tourism development and the clean energy generation of electricity.

“Keep in mind that Portugal is a country which is undoubtedly a world leader in the development of renewable energy,” Peña Nieto said. “Eighty percent of the electricity generated in this country is through renewable sources, and with this reference and this experience there lies an opportunity to develop projects of this kind in Mexico.”

Peña Nieto also encouraged the revival of the direct Mexico-Portugal air route saying, “It would promote economic and commercial development.”

Peña Nieto said that Mexico could benefit from Portugal’s experience in maritime ports. Mexico has projects to expand or duplicate port capacity and Peña Nieto extended an invitation to Portuguese companies to get involved in their management.

He acknowledged the willingness and readiness of Cavaco da Silva to “renew and strengthen” the relationship between Portugal and Mexico.

In turn, Cavaco da Silva said that political relations between Portugal and Mexico are “excellent” and described Mexico as a “strategic partner” of the EU.

President Cavaco Silva confirmed his attendance at the Ibero-American Summit to be held in Veracruz this December.

This visit of President Peña Nieto marks the 150th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Portugal and Mexico.

Thursday, the Mexican and Portuguese presidents closed a business seminar to meet with Portugal’s Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho.

Peña Nieto will also visit Rome for an official visit to the Vatican, and Spain.

Mazatlán’s Port Looks Good for 2014 and Better for 2015

 by Murry Page

3 Jun 14 

mazmessenger.com

 

Next season will see 90 ports of call for cruise ships visiting Mazatlán.

Alfonso Gil Diaz, Director of Mazatlán’s Port Authority, said that for the first four months of this year cargo handling at the city’s port is up 15 percent over the same period last year. Major import items include wood and sheet rolls for the canning industry. Chickpeas and seafood lead in the area of exports.

He noted that chickpea exports this year are up three fold over the same period last year.

For next year Alfonso Gil said that so far Holland American, Norwegian, Princess, and Carnival

Cruise Lines have added Mazatlán on their lists of ports of call for the 2014-2015 season.

He said, “Next season will be fine with 90 ports of calls for Mazatlán, which will mean income for us (the Port Authority), but with even greater benefit for the people of Mazatlán.”

He added they are still working with other cruise lines to increase the number of cruise ships docking in Mazatlán.

(from El Sol de Mazatlán)

Mexico now open for U.S. fresh potatoes

agri-pulse.com
By Agri-Pulse staff

WASHINGTON, May 19, 2014 - Effective today, the Mexican government has implemented its final rule to allow U.S. fresh potatoes to enter all of Mexico. 


The National Potato Council (NPC) and the United States Potato Board (USPB) say this action is part of a bi-lateral agreement that facilitates trade in fresh potatoes between the two countries. The two industry organizations support this bi-lateral trade agreement as it will benefit potato growers in Mexico and the United States, as well as the processing industries and consumers in both countries. 

Per capita potato consumption in Mexico is lower than the United States, so there is room for this market to grow. The USPB will conduct market development programs in Mexico which will be designed to increase consumption of all potatoes in Mexico. 

National Potato Council: The National Potato Council is the advocate for the economic well-being of U.S. potato growers on federal legislative, regulatory, environmental, and trade issues. NPC supports the U.S. 
potato industry by monitoring issues affecting the strength and viability of the potato industry, influencing regulators and legislators on issues crucial to the industry's long term success, ensuring fair market access for potatoes and potato products, and bringing the unique issues and interests of diverse growing regions in the U.S. together on a national level. 

United States Potato Board: The mission of the United States Potato Board is to increase demand for potatoes and potato products through an integrated promotion program, thereby providing US producers with expanding markets for their production. For complete information about the programs, ROI results, resources and tools available to all members of the industry through the USPB, please visit www.uspotatoes.com. The United States Potato Board-Maximizing Return on Grower Investment.

Mazatlán: Beach Destination and Industrial Hub

by Maureen Dietrich

16 May 

mazmessenger.com

 

The first logistics center to be built in front of the thermo-electric plant will consist of 240 bodegas.

In the view of Mazatlán’s AMPI president, Carlos Rivera Vega, Mazatlán is not only being seen as a tourist beach destination but is positioning itself as a strategic business location.

Members of the AMPI realtors association have noticed a 20 percent increase in sales compared to the same period last year in homes, tourist residences, and business and industrial land.

The same interest in property acquisition is being experienced by other States along the Corredor Económico del Norte, said Rivera Vega, who added the time is right to purchase as prices have not yet suffered the effects of speculation.

Without specifying names, the AMPI president advised they are assisting new food and self-serve businesses in finding land in Mazatlán.

Real estate agent Flavio Michel Sánchez spoke of the first logistics center to be built in front of the thermo-electric plant, advising 200 million pesos will be invested to construct a total of 240 bodegas.

This is a new real estate market niche for the municipality, he said. More and more industries are seeking space to establish distribution points due to the location of the port and highway access. They are looking for bodegas or land to purchase or rent. The logistics center offers them all the necessary facilities to load and unload, large workshops, 24 hour security and the possibility of expansion, Sánchez told media.

Among businesses planning to locate in the center are electrical and construction material distributors, said Sánchez.

The first phase costing 60 million pesos will consist of 70 bodegas. In June, 40 will be ready and of those 25 percent have already been sold.

 (from Noroeste)

US-Mexico Trade on the Rise

May 12, 2014 

by Julian Blumenthal

southlooplogistics.com

 

 

Last Thursday, as a member of CSCMP I attended a morning session on the NAFTA trade with Mexico.  Here some of the things I learned at that event.

US-Mexico trade has grown in an astonishing way since the implementation of NAFTA in 1994, from total import/export trade in 1993 of $32.7 billion to $506.6 billion i 2013.  Exports in 2013, $226.2 billion,  increased 4.7% from 2012. Imports increased. Imports increased 1% to $280.4 billion.  Mexico is the 2nd largest export market for US Goods after Canada. It is third on the list of exports. At the conference a figure was used by several speakers saying that 40% of the content imported from Mexico to the US was made in the US.  One of the vendors at the event, Scarborough, a Kansas City based 3PL reported its business is up 1000% with Mexico in the last 3 years.

Despite all of this growth, there is great potential for future growth, as Asia is getting priced out of the market with higher wages and higher transportation costs, and the Latin America and Mexico market is growing. Viewed with my recent blog on the expansion of the Panama Canal, there is a growing future of inter-Western Hemisphere trade.

There are several steps which ease this process:

• President Obama has committed with Mexico to allow electronic clearance of freight by 2016.  Today’s paper process causes numerous delays as minor errors stop freight sometimes for days. Electronic processes can have edits and responses to errors can be handled quicker.
• Changes in Mexico law will end the requirement that custom brokers clear freight only at the border
• Investments in infrastructure on both sides of the border, will improve transportation flow.

Even with these changes, it will take expertise to ship to and from Mexico, to meet the export-import documentation requirements. A skilled Custom House Broker and 3PL is essential to avoid costly delays.

Mexico, US weigh transportation plans

Monday, 07 April 2014 01:10

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

thenews.com,mx

BY PEDRO MONTES DE OCA

The News

Communication and Transportation Secretary Gerardo Ruiz Esparza on Sunday held a meeting in Mexico City with U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Aviation and International Affairs Assistant Secretary Susan Kurland to discuss transportation modernization.

Ruiz Esparza said that the two governments will maintain a more involved dialogue to analyze issues regarding highway, rail and maritime transportation. Kurland outlined the importance of Sunday’s meeting and continued cooperation, saying that the enhanced relations will allow for advances in communication and transportation cooperation.

Other high-level U.S. officials at the meeting included DOT Office of Freight Management Director Caitlin Rayman, DOT Office of Freight Security Director Ron Hynes, Maritime Administration Office of International Activities Director Lonnie Kishiyama and U.S. Embassy Minister Counselor for Economic, Environment, Science, Technology and Health Affairs John Sammis.

A press release from the Communication and Transportation Secretariat (SCT) said that Ruiz Esparza and other SCT officials commented on the SCT’s activities and projects in the fields of communication, transportation and the modernization of land, air and sea infrastructure.

Mexico has been working to modernize its transportation infrastructure by building new ports and highways. SCT Highway Conservation General-Director Alejandro Fernández Campillo announced over the weekend that 65 billion pesos ($5 billion) will be spent in 2014 on highway construction, modernization and conservation.

AMAZON YA OFRECE ENVÍOS GRATUITOS A MÉXICO

dineroenimagen.com

México se une a Nueva Zelanda, India y Singapur en el programa. Foto: Getty

CIUDAD DE MÉXICO.- La tienda minorista en línea Amazon.com informó esta mañana que México se añadirá a la lista de países de su programa "AmazonGlobal Saver", el cual realiza envíos gratuitos en compras superiores a 125 dólares.

Una vez que la orden sea empacada, tardará entre 11 y 14 días hábiles en llegar al destino.

Así, México se une a Nueva Zelanda, India y Singapur en el programa.

La compañía advierte que existen algunas restricciones en cuanto a los productos que participan en el programa, pero dijo que la mayoría de sus ventas en el sitio internacional califican para el mismo. 

Artículos superiores a 20 libras, con exceso de dimensiones, documentos electrónicos, descargas de software y música, y tarjetas de regalo no participan en el programa.

*gl

Road Repairs Begin in Earnest

by Maureen Dietrich

20 Mar 14  

mazmessenger.com

 

The Sinaloa government will pay 2,088,000 pesos to realize “conservation work” on 11 roads while the SCT will repair potholes on 17 at a cost of five million pesos.

As part of a street conservation program that began last month, potholes in 28 municipal streets will be repaired with funds coming from the State government and the Secretary of Communications and Transport (SCT).

Sub-director of State Public Works and director of Preforzados, Concretos y Agregados de Sinaloa, Arturo Guevara Reyes, told media the Sinaloa government will pay 2,088,000 pesos to realize “conservation work” on 11 roads while the SCT will repair potholes on 17 at a cost of five million pesos.

In total, the State will invest 9,630,000 pesos in the southern zone including roads in Concordia, Elota, El Rosario, Escuinapa and San Ignacio and 50 million pesos in the remainder of Sinaloa municipalities.

Guevara Reyes guaranteed pothole repairs with longer life thanks to four trucks they have acquired for this project at a cost of 16 million pesos.

The trucks, he said, come with tools and the latest technology to keep the asphalt at a temperature of 100 degrees so that when filling a hole the asphalt being poured is at the correct temperature. At the national level only Guadalajara, México and Monterrey have this technology.

The sub-director advised that the priority in Mazatlán is the tourist roads. The first to be attended to is the road to El Quelite and yesterday Mayor Carlos Felton laid the first round of asphalt to begin the project. (from Noroeste)

UPS Opens New Facility to Improve Time-In-Transit to Mexico

ups.com
Laredo, TX, March 18, 2014

New Facility Improves Cross-border Shipping

UPS today announced the opening of a new package sorting and delivery facility in Laredo, Texas, doubling the capacity of its previous building. The new facility will also use advanced technology to increase processing proficiency. UPS customers in South Texas shipping to Mexico can benefit from the new technology by experiencing a one-day improvement in time-in-transit.

The new facility is strategically located to improve shipping to Mexico, an extremely important market for UPS and its customers. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, trade between the United States and Mexico has increased 113 percent over the past 10 years, with more than $1.35 billion in cross-border commerce taking place every day. The Laredo facility will allow UPS customers who ship from South Texas to maximize the potential of cross-border commerce by allowing their packages to move more quickly through the UPS system, thus arriving in Mexico sooner.

The Laredo facility further enhances UPS's industry-leading portfolio of services and solutions that provide reliable and fast access to Mexico for international suppliers. With solutions like the expanded UPS Preferred Less-Than-Container Load (LCL) freight service, UPS CrossBorder Connect, and UPS Standard, the logistics company offers innovative visibility technologies, supply chain and brokerage expertise that help customers remain competitive and meet their business objectives.

The 33,000 square-foot-facility can accommodate up to 66 delivery trucks/trailers. Other enhancements include technology upgrades to improve sorting accuracy and decrease the effort needed to sort packages. These upgrades will result in an improved working environment and simultaneously reduce fuel consumption, miles driven and  carbon emissions versus the previous Laredo building.

Master Development Plan for Port Discussed

by staff

12 Mar 14 

mazmessenger.com

The plan requires an investment of 12,000 million pesos

With the goal of preventing traffic and urban chaos in the new industrial zone being developed south of Mazatlán, local and State authorities have begun to draw a plan to coordinate the arrival of merchandize and industrial park logistics for Mazatlán’s refurbished port.

The director of strategic projects for Sinaloa, Francisco Labistida Gómez de la Torre, assured authorities and local business representatives at a meeting yesterday that the modernization of the port was just a question of time. Attending the meeting were Mayor Carlos Felton, leaders of business associations, members of Codesin and the director of the municipal institute of planning.

He told the meeting they have master development and cost benefit plans in place with which they can authorize the investment and the only thing to be done is an environmental study.

The amount of pesos to be invested has not changed since the original plan, said the strategic projects director. The plan requires an investment of 12,000 million pesos, of which 4,000 million pesos will come from federal funds and the remainder from private investors.

With respect to advances in the project, he said this year they will ask for 500 million pesos more than budgeted for the second stage of the dredging, but it will require a special petition to the Sinaloa federal deputies to include in the 2015 federal budget at least 1,000 million pesos for the project.

The modernization of the port is to include a 1,770 meter access road, 9.6 hectares for customs, a new safe harbor for fishermen, relocation of the Pemex terminals and new expanded container terminals.

 (from Noroeste)

Rail Design Linking Mexico, Texas Unveiled

fronterasdesk.com

By  Lorne Matalon

March 07, 2014

MARFA, Texas — The design for a new rail line linking Chihuahua, Mexico, and borderland Texas was unveiled Thursday. The link will allow goods from two major Mexican ports to move directly into the central part of the United States without having to move through El Paso or San Diego.

The Mexican Pacific ports of Lazaro Cardenas in Michoacan and Los Mochis in Sinaloa receive U.S-bound goods from Asia every day. Rail is the most cost-effective way to move the goods into the U.S. market. But there are only a few rail options for goods destined for the American heartland. And those goods typically clog up rail connections at points of entry in El Paso and San Diego.

But now, a new rail bridge linking the border towns of Ojinaga, Chihuahua, and Presidio, Texas is expected to begin construction next year.

Presidio schools Superintendent Dennis McIntyre said the plan will be tweaked, but the fact that agencies in two countries have finally agreed on a design is a good sign.

"So that means it moves into a much more viable stance and we are looking at beginning construction on that bridge in the second quarter of 2015," McIntyre said.

Economists suggest a new bridge on the border will translate into less expensive consumer goods imported from Asia.

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto ordered his government to expand borderland infrastructure in November, saying Mexico needs a new rail bridge here to move its own goods into the U.S. market. Texas has good rail connections with the Midwestern states.

"They've got a presidential order now from Mexico City saying 'we are ready, we're moving. Hope to meet you in the middle,'" said Judge Paul Hunt,  the top elected official in Presidio.

A report also released Thursday claims a new bridge would immediately create 54 new jobs, with the hope that number would rise once trains start rolling.

Conference looks at Mexico 20 years after NAFTA

utsandiego.com

By Sandra Dibble

March 7, 2014

LA JOLLA — Mexico’s recent fiscal and energy reforms, new trade agreements and an evolving manufacturing sector are among the factors that are driving a deep economic transformation in the country, participants in a conference at UC San Diego said Thursday.

Entitled “Twenty Years of NAFTA and Beyond,” the event brought together scholars, government officials, business leaders and artists to consider where Mexico is heading two decades after the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement between Mexico, the United States and Canada.

“NAFTA was never thought of as something static,” said Mexican soft drink manufacturer Juan Gallardo, who was named this year to the Forbes billionaires list. “It was thought of something as a work in progress.” Under NAFTA, he said, “we went from being a country where things were assembled to a country where things are manufactured.”

But the treaty also disappointed some expectations. “NAFTA hasn’t had the power that some people expected to alleviate poverty,” said Carlos Elizondo, a professor at the Center for Research and Teaching in Economics, a think thank in Mexico City. “NAFTA hasn’t been the disaster that its critics have claimed, but it hasn’t been the panacea,” its supporters touted, he said.

Bilateral trade between the United States and Mexico has increased dramatically since the treaty’s signing — from $80 billion to $500 billion annually, said Antonio Ortiz Mena, head of economic affairs at the Mexican Embassy in Washington, D.C. But “if we are to take North American competitiveness to the next level, we need to have a much stronger proactive engagement between the public and private sectors.”

The event was the third of a series of “Mexico Moving Forward” conferences held at the university since 2011. It was organized by the university through the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies of the School of International Relations and Pacific Studies.

Other speakers included Janet Napolitano, former Department of Homeland Security secretary and president of the University of California system; Arturo Sarukhan, former Mexican ambassador to the United States; Deborah Riner, chief economist at the American Chamber of Commerce of Mexico; political analyst Denise Dresser; and cinematographer Ignacio Duran. A surprise performance by members of Tijuana's Opera Ambulante drew enthusiastic applause.

The participants discussed Mexico’s recent fiscal and energy reforms, the problems of persistent violence and economic inequality, opportunities for artists, the effect of new trade alliances, and efforts aimed at strengthening its relationship with the United States.

“You can’t engage with Mexico simply by looking at a particular set of economic questions, you need to look at the broader set of political, economic, and cultural issues going on in Mexico,” said Peter Cowhey. dean of UC San Diego’s School of International Relations and Pacific Studies.

sandra.dibble@utsandiego.com