Mexican mega-port confronts Trump's tariff storm

14 hours ago 8
Members of the navy patrol the Lazaro Cardenas larboard  connected  Mexico's Pacific coastMembers of the navy patrol the Lazaro Cardenas larboard connected Mexico's Pacific coast. Photo: Alfredo ESTRELLA / AFP
Source: AFP

At dawn, instrumentality ships from Asia unload astatine a immense Pacific larboard successful Mexico that truthful acold appears to beryllium weathering the tempest unleashed by US President Donald Trump's tariffs.

Members of the navy patrol the waters disconnected Lazaro Cardenas, which for years has besides been a gateway for cause flows that Mexico is nether unit from Trump to stop.

The port, which covers an country of h2o and onshore the size of respective 1000 football fields, handles thousands of vehicles and adjacent much car parts.

Millions of different goods from assorted industries and countries besides get astatine the port.

As good arsenic the logistical challenge, Mexican authorities look mounting unit from Trump to tackle trafficking of drugs oregon their precursors hidden successful imported goods.

The value of Lazaro Cardenas -- located successful Michoacan, 1 of Mexico's astir convulsive states -- reflects the country's heavy integration with the United States and Canada acknowledgment to decades of escaped commercialized agreements.

"It's a strategical logistics point," Joel Mendez, the port's operations manager, told AFP during a circuit of the facilities.

The larboard is connected to a railroad that extends to the United States and Canada, truthful a instrumentality tin get successful Chicago successful 7 days.

Expansion planned

The larboard  successful  Lazaro Cardenas covers an country  the size of respective  1000  shot   fieldsThe larboard successful Lazaro Cardenas covers an country the size of respective 1000 shot fields. Photo: Zina DESMAZES / AFP
Source: AFP

Lazaro Cardenas has go a large rival to the Port of Long Beach successful California, according to section authorities.

So acold determination is nary motion of a slowdown astatine the Mexican port, its relation says.

Container throughput accrued 11 percent betwixt January and March, erstwhile Mexico was already successful Trump's sights.

There are plans to grow the port's size by 1,100 hectares (2,700 acres) -- astir 900 shot fields.

It already handles the astir conveyance shipments of immoderate Mexican seaport, accounting for 35 percent of the nationalist total.

It besides processes inputs for the alloy industry, different assemblage targeted by Trump's pugnacious commercialized policy.

ArcelorMittal, 1 of the world's largest steelmakers, has a beingness successful Lazaro Cardenas.

The larboard  of Lazaro Cardenas successful  Mexico is simply a cardinal  gateway for Asian goods into North AmericaThe larboard of Lazaro Cardenas successful Mexico is simply a cardinal gateway for Asian goods into North America. Photo: Alfredo ESTRELLA / AFP
Source: AFP

Though Trump excluded Mexico from his steep "reciprocal tariffs" -- and this week eased car import duties --- its alloy and aluminum exports are taxable to a 25 percent tariff.

That is simply a large situation for a state that is location to plants operated by large overseas automakers specified arsenic Ford, General Motors, Volkswagen, Audi and BMW.

Despite fears of an economical downturn, Mexico's economy avoided a recession successful the archetypal 4th of the year, increasing 0.2 percent from the erstwhile quarter, a preliminary estimation showed Wednesday.

Drug searches

Dozens of soldiers inspected products successful a peculiar country of the port, which successful 2013 was taken implicit by the subject aft it became a destination for chemic precursors utilized to nutrient crystal meth.

A subordinate   of the Mexican navy searches for drugs astatine  the Lazaro Cardenas portA subordinate of the Mexican navy searches for drugs astatine the Lazaro Cardenas port. Photo: Alfredo ESTRELLA / AFP
Source: AFP

Trump has linked his tariffs successful portion to the request for Mexico to bash much to tackle trafficking of different synthetic drug, the deadly opioid fentanyl, arsenic good arsenic amerciable migration.

A worker astatine the larboard took samples from large sacks of fishmeal, placing them successful a instrumentality than tin observe amerciable substances.

"Cocaine and cannabis are the 2 substances that person been seized the astir successful the port," a Mexican navy serviceman said connected information of anonymity.

In October, the navy announced it had seized much than 8.3 tonnes of drugs successful the Pacific southwest of Lazaro Cardenas -- a grounds for a azygous cognition astatine sea.

Authorities are focused connected chemicals that tin beryllium utilized to nutrient some ineligible medications and synthetic drugs.

Port workers are preparing for the industry's highest season, betwixt May and June, erstwhile companies export and import millions of products successful anticipation of the year-end holidays.

Despite the chill winds from Trump's commercialized war, "the larboard volition proceed to grow," Mendez predicted.

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Source: AFP

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