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Written by Kylie Maddrey
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Ford shipped the first batch of vehicles on Tuesday from the previously overlooked port of Guaymas near its plant in the northern Mexican state of Sonora in a project that could cut the U.S. automaker’s logistics costs if it is fully launched, according to Reuters. . For the governor of the state by 30%.
The initial shipment of pickup trucks and Broncos, bound for Chile, is part of a broader revamp of the port of Guaymas, an infrastructure project headed by outgoing Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Ford (NYSE:) has long been sending its vehicles about 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) overland from Hermosillo to the port of Lazaro Cardenas in Michoacan state, Sonora Gov. Alfonso Durazo said in an interview.
Durazo described the long journey as a “logistical tragedy” that could easily be fixed by moving the freight to the port of Guaymas.
Ford executives participated in an event with state government officials on Tuesday. “This is the first time we can take advantage of the port after investing in modernization and expansion,” Ricardo Anaya, Ford Mexico manufacturing director, said in a statement.
Durazo said construction work is underway on the port’s parking platform to allow cargo to exit on a larger scale.
“This also means that cars can enter and can enter the Sonoran market and even the American market through the port of Guaymas,” Durazo said.
Durazo said that work to deepen the port’s waters is continuing to enable Guaymas to receive heavier ships with greater loads of cargo.
The governor said that before Lopez Obrador’s term ends in October, “we hope to take another step forward and receive or send a container ship to the Asian market.”
Mexican states are looking to capitalize on the so-called “near-border” trend, where companies choose to move operations typically located in Asia closer to their final destination in North America.
