Bulletin 570 - Friday, May 25, 2012

Eurocopter, the European helicopter manufacturer, will initially invest US$100 million in a first stage to build their plant in Queretaro; over time, the investment could reach US$500 million. The above was informed by Dominique Maudet, Executive Vice-president of this French-German-Spaniard Group in France, during the execution of the collaboration agreement between Eurocopter de Mexico and Tubomeca Mexico from Safran Group, to train technicians in helicopters maintenance and the opening of the first joint Training Center. Maudet explained that the company's interest on investing in Mexico is because this country is strategic for their business, for many reasons, such as "its location in the Dollar zone, low costs, qualified labor and position regarding other Hispano-American countries".

Source: El Universal

Almost 4,000 Spaniard companies are currently working in Mexico, a country where trade is a source of wealth, jobs generation and where investment has juridical safety, Patricia Espinoza, Mexican Chancellor, affirmed. In an interview with the Spaniard newspaper ABC during her visit to Spain, Espinoza said that Spaniard investment in Mexico is very important. "We want it to continue generating benefits, because they bring us benefits as well with jobs generation and economic activity expansion", she added. She assured that Spaniard companies have greatly contributed to Mexico's sustained economic growth.

Source: Notimex

Mexico City.- In the first four months of the year 6 million 987 thousand 67 tons of commercial cargo were moved in Veracruz Port, a figure that represents 19.3% increase over even term last year. The Cargo Movement and Productivity Statistical Summary shows that in the first four months of the year most cargo moved through this port posted increases. During the above-mentioned term, the cargo segment with the largest growth was vehicles with 38%, agriculture bulk with 36%, bulk general cargo 32%, which meant 26 ships more arriving to the port than in 2011, when there were operations with 598 ships.

Source: T21

Mexico City.- The second Suppliers Development Center for the Industrial Sector will be opened in Guadalajara next August or September, as informed by Luis Aguirre Lang, Chairman of the Mexican Council of Maquiladora and Export Manufacturing Industry, Consejo Nacional de la Industria Maquiladora y Manufacturera de Exportación (Index). The purpose of this Center is acting as incubator for small companies, so that they may reach the competitiveness required by companies that currently import supplies into Mexico and eventually substitute such imports. Aguirre Lang said that only in 2011 US$150 billion were imported in raw materials and components for Mexican Export Manufacturing Industry. In Ciudad Juarez, where there are 334 companies from maquilador sector, that contribute with 80% of the city's economy with over 200,000 jobs generated, plans are to reach 5% of local contents this year, with a suppliers development program. According to Jose Luis Armendariz, Chairman of Ciudad Juarez Maquiladoras Association (AMAC), domestic supplies integrated into products throughout Mexico is 4%, while in Juarez it is 3.4%.

Source: CNN Expansion

Tijuana, Baja California.- The Korean company Hundai announced an investment for US$131 million in their new aluminum Die Cast Plant, which will start operating at Tijuana, Baja California this 2012. "After careful consideration, Tijuana was chosen due to the great significance of our experience, strong support from companies in the community and local and state authorities", Kenny Lee, CEO, Hyundai, declared. Governor Jose Guadalupe Osuna Millan and Kenny Lee announced on May 20th that this new investment in Baja California represents more than 50% of the resources invested since their arrival to Tijuana in 1989.

Source: El Financiero

Berlin, Germany.- BMW, the German automobiles assembler, is considering installing production facilities in Brazil, Mexico and East Europe, the newspaper Handelsblatt informed last Friday, based on sources close to the company. Decisions about these new factories could be made next fall, the newspaper added. BMV has set ambitious sales goals for 2016 of 2 million vehicles per year; last year they sold 1.6 million units. However, they will not be able to achieve this goal if they do not reinforce their production capacity. Early in May, BMW denied some information published in the Slovak press saying they were considering opening new electric vehicles factories in Slovakia and Mexico.

Source: El Norte

Mexico City.- Jose Angel Gurria, General Secretary of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, assured yesterday that Mexico has had exemplary economic behavior among the countries members of this organization. In a press conference during the Meeting of Labor and Employment Ministers of G20, he stressed that, among OECD members, Mexico has been one of the countries with the best economic performance, which reflects in the 4.6% growth of economy in the first quarter of 2012. He said that on the other hand, there is zero growth in Euro Zone, 0.2% in Europe and 2.5% in the United States, which means that Mexico's growth is three or four times larger than in other countries members of OECD.

Source: Notimex