Written by Kylie Maddrey
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Ford shipped the first batch of cars on Tuesday from the previously neglected port of Guaymas near its factory 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 Andres Manuel López Obrador.
Ford (NYSE:) has long been trucking its cars nearly 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) over land from Hermosillo to the port of Lázaro Cárdenas in Michoacán 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.
Durazo said the port would also benefit from another project led by Lopez Obrador. Part of the president's so-called “Sonora Plan” was a 1-gigawatt solar power plant, which would power the port.
The second phase of the energy complex, which costs about $840 million, is scheduled to open with the president in the coming weeks, according to the governor.
The federal government's Sonora Plan also hopes to tap into the state's lithium resources, which are believed to be the largest in Mexico.
Mexico nationalized its lithium resources in 2022, and officials said private companies could exploit the white metal in partnerships with state company LitioMx.
Durazo said Mexico needs regulatory clarification on the issue.
“The law must be supplemented with regulations to know more precisely how private companies can participate,” he said.
Last year, mining company Ganfeng Lithium said its local subsidiaries had canceled their concessions, forcing the company to postpone its target date to start mining the battery metal.