Bulletin 503 - Friday, January 14, 2011

Tijuana, Baja California,- The Chairwoman of the Maquiladora and Export Industry Association. Asociacion de la Industria Maquiladora y de Exportacion (AIM), Norma Yael Lomeli Pierce, called the sector to "do its homework" in each of the companies in the sector and identify the benefits or damages that could bring the enforcement of the new Decree to Foster Manufacturing, Maquiladora and Export Services Industry, (Immex). Upon closing the "Experts Forum" which gathered 250 representatives from several maquiladora companies in Tijuana, Ms. Lomeli said that negotiating with the Federal Government better conditions for maquila must a permanent process to keep it competitive. Specialists focused on two aspects modified by Immex Decree, fiscal impact and foreign trade; the former, they concurred, is where the authorities were more reluctant to negotiations, due to abuse by some companies; while the latter is where the greater benefits were obtained.

Source: La Voz de la frontera

Mexico,- DHL, the German Courier service firm, keeps investing in its hub located in Queretaro Intercontinental Airport, and will soon have a new route from Queretaro to Northwest Mexico, Antonio Aranz, CEO in Mexico, informed. DHL is finalizing details so that the route starts operating this quarter with an airplane, possibly a Boeing 767-300, which will move more than ten tons of cargo. According to Mr. Aranz, the decision of establishing in Queretaro was "remarkable" since this hub has become an "anchor" for DHL's investments and presence in Mexico.

Source: El Financiero

Tijuana, Baja California,- Aerospace industry is among the most promising in Baja California in 2011, for there are already five new companies planning to establish here soon, and expansions of other plants are expected to be confirmed throughout the year. "The competitive advantage offered by Baja California is, no doubt, being so close to California, which just by itself is the eighth most important economy in the world. Manufacturing costs for the destination market is our advantage", said Tomas Sibja, Head of Aerospace Industry Office in Tijuana Economic and Industrial Development Agency, Desarrollo Economico e Industrial de Tijuana AC (DEITAC). "3 companies devoted to precision machining and manufacture of aerospace components and 2 Canadian companies working on special processes and compound materials will invest here in 2011", Jaime Gonzalez Luna, DEITAC Chairman informed. Due to confidentiality reasons, the names of the companies cannot be disclosed yet, but the first will start operating next March, on an 80,000 square meters (861,109 square feet) surface, with 25 initial jobs.

Source: El Economista

Mexico,- Frisco, the Mexican Mining Company controlled by Carlos Slim, informed last Tuesday they are planning to invest MXP$9 billion (US$793 million) in 2011. Minera Frisco said in a press release that one part of the amount they are planning to invest "will be obtained from credit institutions, financial markets and leasing firms", but would not provide any further details. Frisco and Inmuebles Carso made their debut last week in the local Stock Exchange, after splitting from Grupo Carso. Frisco's shares went up 0.37% last Tuesday, closing in MXP$43.94.

Source: Milenio

Chihuahua, Mexico,- Comision Federal de Electricidad (CFE), the state-owned company for electric power generation and distribution, is planning to start in January 2013 the construction in Ciudad Juarez of Norte III-Samalayuca Combined Cycle Central, to almost double CFE's current capacity to meet demand by their users, mainly industrial and commercial, Roberto Covarrubias Bustamante, Manager of North Distribution Division, announced during the meeting of the company's Board of Consultants held in Ciudad Juarez. Before representatives from business organizations, Mr. Covarrubias announced that CFE has 3 projects soon to be developed, that will require investments for around MXP$7 billion. These projects arise from studies made by CFE and economic indicators showing that Ciudad Juarez area will experience an economic rebound which will require increasing electric power distribution capacity, Austreberto Guerrero Garcia, Superintendent with CFE, added.

Source: El Diario de Chihuahua

Mexico,- "The goal for this year is breaking a record, because production is expected to reach between 503,000 and 510,000 units". This was informed by the leader of Volkswagen de Mexico Workers' Union, Sindicato Independiente de Trabajadores de Volkswagen de México (Sitiavw), Victor Jaime Cervantes Rosas, who is confident the goal will be achieved, even if he acknowledged that in 2011 there will be extra work load for personnel. He pointed-out that production calendar for the plant located in Cuautlancingo -the most important company in the State of Puebla-shows 232 working days, 1 day less than in 2010. He also said that production goal was set in more than 500,000 units because assembly of a new model, successor of Beetle, is expected to start next March or April. Therefore, he said, daily vehicles production at the factory will be 2,100 units.

Source: El Porvenir

Chihuahua, Mexico,- Better employment figures in the United States, as well as other positive data from our neighbor country are improving employment forecasts in Ciudad Juarez; even if in the last 4 months they had been dropping. Jose Luis Armendariz Bailon, Chairman of Maquiladoras Association, Asociacion de Maquiladoras Asociacion Civil, said that as the US economy rebounds, production in Ciudad Juarez will go up. Positive data in the United States from last week, include 11% rebound in cars sales in December, 17 months in a row with manufacturing orders on the raise, and growth in retail sales in the last month of 2010, even though not as expected. These indicators, Armendariz Bailon said, will push employment up here as well, generating additional economic resources and the creation of more indirect jobs. Miguel Angel Calderon Rodriguez, Vice-president of the State Association of Economists, Colegio de Economistas, pointed-out that economy in Ciudad Juarez is closely linked to US economy, but further said that US expansion is not fast enough and the impact on this zone might not be sufficient to fight unemployment.

Source: El Diario de Chihuahua