Bulletin 457 - Friday, February 12, 2010

Mexico,- The National Council of Maquiladora and Export Manufacturing Industry (Consejo Nacional de la Industria Maquiladora y Manufacturera de Exportación (CNIMME)) forecasted that production in factories will go back to before-crisis levels in 2011. "As of next year we will have good rhythm", said Monica Gonzalez Greer, CNIMME Chairwoman, in an interview with Bloomberg in New York. Ms. González Greer informed that exports dropped 27% and maquiladoras lost 133,000 jobs last year, when recession in the United States, which purchases 80% of Mexican exports, brought consumer demand down.

Source: El Semanario

Mexicali, Baja California,- A few days ago Nissan Design America Inc (NDA) was inaugurated in Pimsa IV Industrial Park. In the inauguration event, Victor Nacif, Americas Operations Vice-president, said: "In the name of Nissan I thank you for your attendance to the inauguration of Nissan Modeling Center, where we introduce state-of-the-art technology, the most advanced in its type in the Americas; this is much more than modeling facilities, it is the place where we are committed to listen and learn what Mexico has to teach us, while we reinforce our leadership in the market". He added that the voice of this region is very important for them and that there are very important reasons why they decided to open the Design Center in Mexicali, stressing some points; such as finding great creative Mexican talent with innovating, functional and sustainable proposals; in addition to admiring the way in which government, universities and the private sector work together for the progress of the region, as well as considering the state of Baja California a source of high technology with the great potential to serve to Nissan's world design, like India and China do for the Asian Region.

Source: Siglo 21

Mexico,- Serge Durand, CEO, Eurocopter de México, has forecasted growth in sales for at least 10% this yer in the Mexican market. In a press conference he pointed-out that in spite of the economic crisis, Eurocopter had a 30% increase in orders in 2009, which represented sales for US$305 million in the region including Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and part of South America. br> He said that in 2009 19 aircraft were delivered and 41 are still to be shipped, and Eurocopter presence in Mexico is expected to increase due to orders from both government and private sector. According to Mr. Durand, six out of every ten helicopters in the market have been manufactured by Eurocopter.

Source: Notimex

Tokyo.- Nissan, the Japanese automobiles assembler, will manufacture a new compact model in Mexico in 2010, to supply the Latin American market, the economic journal Nikkei informed yesterday. Nissan will produce up to 100 thousand vehicles per year in Aguascalientes plant; they are expecting to sell one million vehicles in 2012 of this new compact, low-price model. Nissan wants to increase production in the two plants they have in Mexico, with capacity to manufacture 500 thousand vehicles, but which last year assembled 350 thousand units. Production of the new model, a version with a lower price than Nissan March (also known as Micra), will start next spring in Nissan plants in Thailand, India and China.

Source: EFE

Saltillo, Coahuila,- It will be next March when recruitment starts for the 300 workers required by General Motor Complex in Ramos Arizpe for Engines and Transmissions Areas, according to the General Secretary of CTM Workers Union, Tereso Medina Ramirez. He pointed-out that last year 250 workers were laid off by General Motors due to market adjustments, all of them operators; he said he does not know how many non-represented employees lost their jobs. However, Medina Ramirez assured next March recruitment of 300 workers required for the Complex will start; he further said he will invite those people who left the assembler due to market reasons to apply.

Source: Zocalo

Mexico City,- Among projects in Mexico for 2010 by Damco, logistics operator, there is the development of Reefer Logistics service, which specializes in handling perishables and frozen products, Jorge San Vicente, General Manager, informed. Mr. San Vicente explained that the purpose is achieving an integral logistics process, not limited to transportation, because Damco provides customer service by identifying purchases throughout the world, as well as in new markets, in addition to moving exported goods through any transportation means. This service has been successfully implemented in South America, where "we are the main reefers of perishable and frozen products; and we are now copying this model in Mexico, because Mexico has important agriculture-related activity, both in export and import markets, in which we will focus this year", Mr. San Vicente further informed.

Source: T21

Chihuahua, Mexico,-Last year was the "but" that exports maquila industry has encountered in the last 40 years. But, unlike other crisis, recovery is coming at an accelerated pace and this May 2010, at the latest, it will have the 40 thousand operative and technical workers it used to have before the crisis; and managerial and supervising positions will be recovered by the third quarter. Arturo Avila Cisneros, president of the Association of maquila and Exporting Companies, said 80 percent of growth is from existing companies, mostly - and surprisingly - from the automotive sector, which was considered lost but now is attracting work that used to be made in China, Honduras and the Dominican Republic, among other countries.

Source: El Diario de Chihuahua