Bulletin 452 - Friday, January 8, 2010

Chihuahua, Chihuahua,- The first full fuselage for a 2-passenger single engine light sports aircraft manufactured by Textron Aerospace Cessna Chihuahua was shipped to, Kansas, to be completely equipped and go out to the market in late January, Arturo Avila Cisneros, General Director, informed. He said that the shipment was made last week, and that they will manufacture one carbon-fiber fuselage per week, to be completed in the United States and sold for around US$600 thousand. He pointed-out that workers in Textron Aerospace Cessna plants have manufactured six fuselages, but no official ceremony has been held because they were waiting for feedback on the first pieces sent to corporate plants for assessment. Comments made regarding production in Chihuahua were excellent, and Corporate Offices have assigned more parts of the process. Mr. Avila said that Chihuahua is now attracting the attention of companies in the aeronautics sector, because it is the first one to successfully produce prototypes with this new technology. Also, workers are quick, quality learners of new processes.

Source: El Diario

Mexico city,- As of next January 27, the Mexican Automobiles Dealers Association, Asociacion Mexicana de Distribuidores de Automotores, AMDA, will have a new Executive President: Luis Gomez Sanchez, who was formerly Government Affairs Director for Chrysler de Mexico. Last December, Jose Gomez Baez, Chairman, elected under current bylaws requiring a board of directors be appointed, announced new rules for this Association, which gathers 1,150 dealerships throughout Mexico. A source close to AMDA said that Luis Gomez Sanchez has been appointed Executive President and - if new bylaws are approved next January 27 - he will be one of the 4 members of the Board of Directors, the other three members are Guillermo Prieto, Juan Jose Guerra y Pedro Zorrilla.

Source: Al Volante

Mexico City,- In order to accelerate containers transit between Michoacan and El Bajio towards Queretaro, the railway Kansas City Southern Mexico (KCSM) and Queretaro Intermodal Terminal (QIT) have made a strategic Alliance. In order to cut down transportation time for 40 to 24 hours, the railway leaves the cargo non-stop all the way to QIT and not in yards; previously, cargo was picked up in such yards the next day to be delivered to companies. KCSM will be able to send one train every day to benefit several industries, such as mechanics, auto parts, chemicals, paper and bulk, with Bajio and Valle de Mexico as destinations, Jose Luis Muñoz, Terminal Director, explained. This year the investment will be around US$15 million to expand the Terminal's infrastructure.

Source: Reforma

Mexico,- With tariffs cutoff, enforced as of January 1, 2010, Mexico went from being one of the most protected economies to one of the most open in Latin America, as far as imports from countries members of World Trade Organization (WTO) is concerned. Among all Latin American countries, Mexico had an average industrial tariff of 11.1% in 2008, only after Brazil (14.1%), Venezuela (12.8%), Argentina (11.9%) and Colombia (11.8%), according to the document "World Tariff Profiles 2009". However, the changes enforced last Friday, brought simple average tariff in Mexico down to 5.3%, below the most deregulated countries in the region, such as Chile (6%), Peru (5.5%) and Costa Rica (5.4%). Mexico's industrial tariffs are expected to go down to a 4.3% mean in 2013, as part of the program to open to trade published on December 24, 2008 in the Federation's Official Gazette.

Source: El Economista

Mexico City,- With a joint investment amounting to US$200 million, Hutchinson Port Holding and UNNE Corporation will build an inland port and logistics park in Tula, Hidalgo. The project will be ready by the end of 2010. Such infrastructure will be used by companies shipping goods to Valle de Mexico (Mexico City and Suburbs), as per information provided by the companies. The complex will be built in Tula, due to its strategic location in central Mexico and highways to move cargo without crossing Mexico City, such as Arco Norte road. Hutchinson will operate a containers-specialized terminal in this inland port; while UNNE will be in charge of warehouses in the logistics park. According to both firms, this port will make logistics activity more efficient, because all goods that must arrive to Mexico City, State of Mexico and suburbs will be moved with no need to cross the city. Around 50 international companies are interested in arriving to this port, which will have railway service, Hidalgo Administration informed.

Source: Reforma

Coahuila, Mexico,- With an investment for around US$100 million and with no inauguration event of any kind, John Deere's new plant in Ramos Arizpe started operations to produce lawn mowers and agricultural equipment. Top executives are expected to visit the new facilities, located in Santa Maria Industrial Park, in mid January. However, to start operations the company did not hire 560 workers, as they had told authorities, and only relocated 300 people from Saltillo Plant. Even if for the time being the company will only hire 50 technicians, in coming months a second shift may be working, which would create a considerable number of new jobs. John Deere is a tractors and agriculture products manufacturer established in Canada, United States and Mexico; it operates a plant in Saltillo ever since the company purchased International Harvester.

Source: Vanguardia

Puebla, Mexico,- Volkswagen's is the largest automotive plant in Mexico, concentrating all production processes to manufacture an automobile. Upon closing 2009, Volkswagen de Mexico became one of the main jobs generators in Mexico, by adding 14 thousand direct jobs in their Puebla Plant, 10 thousand through their dealerships network in Mexico and 50 thousand indirect jobs created by the 212 suppliers that manufacture auto parts for this cars-assembler. As a matter of fact, it is the largest automotive plant in Mexico, by concentrating all production processes to manufacture an automobile, which go from sheet stamping all the way to final assembly. This plant currently produces five models for the world market: New Beetle (Sedan and Convertible); Jetta; Bora and Golf Variant; but in the first half of 2010 they will start producing a new model for the international markets, in the plant's new west wing.

Source: Periodico Digital