A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER ON NAFTA AND RELATED ISSUES

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1 August 2009 * Volume 14, Issue 8 NAFTA Works A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER ON NAFTA AND RELATED ISSUES INSIDE THIS ISSUE Opening a Business More Easily and Quickly in Mexico 1 Opening a Business More... 1 Trade Highlights 2 The Coolest Success Story: Mexico s... 3 NAFTA Related Events 3 Diario Oficial 4 Success Stories 4 Selected Readings 4 Infrastructure Projects in Mexico 4 Mexico Economic Update 5 Profile of Pennsylvania 6 Profile of Tlaxcala On August 3 rd, 2009, President Felipe Calderon officially launched a governmental website TuEmpresa.gob.mx that simplifies the process of establishing a business in Mexico. The website gives investors the opportunity to create any company from any place that has internet access, whether it is a Public Limited Company or Limited Liability Corporation. Depending on the type of business, the registration process previously took more than thirty days and required visits to multiple offices. Now the procedure can take a couple of hours, circumventing the former obstacle course of requirements. The investor is asked to complete just five simple steps on the website. First, registration requires the investor to provide a name and an existing address. He or she must then state the company s name, followed by all necessary information about the company. Next, legal fees must be paid and may be submitted either online, or through bank offices. Finally, the registration must be certified by a Mexican Public Notary in person. The government will keep electronic records of the company available for further online changes made by the investors. Those records are shared among the federal government offices involved in the registration, operation, or closure processes, saving time and reducing costs up to 50% for businesses. For example, companies are now allowed to provide notices of new employees to the Social Security Institute (IMSS in Spanish) directly from the website, without submitting additional paperwork. Among those who will benefit from the new web site are consumers, because it will promote the creation of new businesses and encourage competition. Similarly, this new program will benefit society as a whole, because reducing the difficulty and costs of federal paperwork for businesses will help to create more jobs. The new portal reduces redtape requirements and facilitates the process of opening new businesses while decreasing bureaucratic obstacles, placing Mexico among those economies that have the best international practices and boosting the competitiveness of its economy. Continues on page 2 Page 1

2 The Coolest Success Story: Mexico s Refrigerators Industry Since NAFTA was implemented, the household appliance sector s further regional integration has been extremely successful. Manufacturing industries in Mexico and the U.S. have created more highly integrated supply chains, which have enhanced the region s competitiveness through joint production efforts. As a result, Mexico has become a leading supplier of household appliances to the United States and Canada. In fact, one in five refrigerators sold in the U.S. is now made in Mexico. NAFTA has enabled leaders in refrigerator manufacturing to join forces in order to deliver the high-end and energy efficient products that are increasingly demanded in today s market. With transactions valued over $3 billion annually in both finished products and components traded between Mexico and the U.S., the region has become a strong global player. Recent adverse economic scenarios have shown that an efficient supply chain matters in order to compete in the world markets. Many manufacturers are beginning to shift some operations to Mexico in an effort to offset the rising cost of shipping goods from factories in Asia and elsewhere to customers in North America. Mexican goods can reach U.S. cities in two days, as compared to a month from China. This becomes a potent factor as importers slash inventory costs and lead times. In light of the high transportation costs for refrigerators, Mexican-based producers enjoy a competitive advantage over other competitors due also to North American specific consumer preferences regarding size. Appliances sold in the region are often much larger than those in other regions. For example, side-by-side refrigerators are popular among North American households, their bulky nature increasing per mile shipping costs. By providing the certainty and predictability that investors need to do business through the duty-free and businessfriendly framework created by NAFTA, the Mexican firm Mabe and U.S. General Electric have seen their joint venture increase market share. This venture has secured Mabe and GE as leading manufacturers of refrigerators, among other appliances, in North America. Mabe has evolved not only in Mexico, but has also expanded its presence all over the American continent through investing in manufacturing capacity and technological innovation. Likewise, many of the other major refrigerator manufacturing companies in the world have production facilities in Mexico. Samsung has constructed a plant with an annual output of 500,000 refrigerators and other appliances in Queretaro. Daewoo invested in a facility with a 700,000 refrigerator manufacturing capacity located in the same city. Swedish appliance maker Electrolux began producing refrigerators in a facility with a 1.2 million units per year capacity located in Juarez in These investment decisions have placed these companies in a strategic position to gain market share in North America. Meanwhile, other producers already established in Mexico have recently begun to expand their existing investments by increasing manufacturing capacity. In 2008, U.S.-based Whirlpool began a consolidation process to increase manufacturing efficiencies including expanding refrigerator production capacity at its Ramos Arizpe facility. Last year, New Zealand s Fisher and Paykel Appliances purchased a refrigeration production facility in Reynosa from Whirlpool to commence manufacture for the North American market as a part of its global strategy to bring increased efficiency. By the end of 2009, Korea s LG Electronics plans to increase output of refrigerators in its manufacturing plant located in Monterrey which will create about 1,300 new jobs and will source more components in Mexico to gain cost competitiveness. The refrigeration industry has become one of the many success stories that illustrate the results of the free trade policies embraced by Mexico. Companies based in Mexico achieve high scores in the production of refrigerators in part because they have access to the best components and better prices from the U.S. and other trading partners. This integration has created a mutually advantageous relationship in which consumers and manufacturers from both Mexico and the U.S. have benefited. Japan 2% Germany 2% U.S. Total Trade: Refrigerators Goods Percentage Share, 2008 Other 23% South Korea 9% China 11% Canada 15% Mexico 38% Source: Trade and NAFTA Office with data from Wiser Trade (HTS 8418) 3,500 3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1, U.S.-Mexico Trade: Refrigerators Goods 1, ,303 Billion dollars 339 1, , , U.S. exports to Mexico Bilateral Trade Source: Trade and NAFTA Office with data form Wise Trade (HTS 8418) 3,047 Page 2

3 NAFTA Related Events Latin American Food Show September 2 nd 4 th, 2009 Specialized trade show offering a variety of food products and services from over 20 different countries. Location: Hotel Hilton. Cancún, Quintana Roo Phone: 52(55) cdelvalle@lafs.com.mx Website: Media Up Front Mexico September 2 nd 4 th, 2009 Companies related to publishing and broadcasting will present their new developments, commercial proposals, and new means of communication. Phone: (52) (55) patricia.delarosa@aamedios.com Website: Punto de Venta September 2 nd and 3 rd, 2009 Forum presenting tools and latest methods of products and services that may influence retail sales. Will also introduce tendencies of design, images, placement and advertising for product success. Location: Hotel Royal Pedregal. Mexico City Phone: 52 (55) Ext dnonaka@ketedranet.com Website: Expo Internacional Rujac September 9 th 11 th, 2009 National auto parts trade show with information on technology advances, technical conferences, platform for business growth, and complete information of the auto part world. Location: Expo Guadalajara. Guadalajara, Jalisco Phone: 52 (33) direccionexpo@rujac.com.mx Website: Mexico Outdoor Expo September 19 th and 20 th, 2009 International exhibition of providers with a large quantity of hunting, sport, fishing and extreme sports equipment. Location: Cintermex. Monterrey, Nuevo Leon Phone: 52 (81) info@mexicooutdoorexpo.com Website: North American Strategic Infrastructure Leadership Forum September 22 th 24 th, 2009 Mexico s top strategic infrastructure projects will be featured at the Forum. Location: Omni Shoreham Hotel. Washington, DC. Phone: (202) info@cg-la.com Website: El Salon de la Franquicia September 24 th 26 th, 2009 Business show about franchises and business opportunities. Phone: 52 (55) info@elsalondelafranquicia.com Website: Expoelegourmet.com Mexico September 24 th 26 th, 2009 Ideal opportunity for producers, wineries and businesses to introduce their products to specialists in the food industry, chefs, connoisseurs, students, fans and the whole pubic. Phone: 52 (55) fsuastegui@amvission.com Website: Expo Aric Dental September 25 th 27 th, 2009 Expo on materials and dental equipment. Location: Expo Guadalajara. Guadalajara, Jalisco Phone: 52 (33) informes@acoidac.com Website: Expo Pan September 26th 28th, 2009 International supplier exhibit exclusively for bakers, pastry cooks, hotelkeepers, entrepreneurs in the bread and restaurant industries. Location: Palacio de los Deportes. Mexico City Phone: 52 (55) rmonroy@influyeeventos.com.mx Website: Abastur September 30 th October 2 nd, 2009 The most important Latin American congress of suppliers for hotels, restaurants and hospitality industries. Phone: 52 (55) malvarez@a-d-n.com.mx Website: DIARIO OFICIAL NOTICES Resolution providing criteria regarding the General Customs Rules applicable to the Free Trade Agreement between Mexico, Colombia and Venezuela. July 7th, Decree approving the Agreement between Mexico and the International Trade Center (ITC) to open an ITC s Office in Mexico. July 9th, Final resolution of the countervailing duty review imposed on steel bars type I from Brazil regardless of the shipping country. This merchandise is classified with tariff item of the General Import Law. July 9th, 2009 Decree that modifies the import duties established on the General Import Tax to merchandise produced in Chile. July 7th, Fourteenth decree modification to the Foreign Trade general rules and criteria. July 7th, Decree that modifies the import duties established on the General Import Tax to merchandise produced in certain countries with which Mexico has signed Free Trade Agreements and those Agreements based on The Montevideo Treaty Agreement of July 23rd, Decree by the Health Secretariat of Mexico that requires a sanitary permit in order to import tobacco products into Mexico. July 30th, Notice informing the elimination of the countervailing duty imposed to seamless carbon steel pipe from Russia and Romania regardless of the country of origin. This merchandise is classified under the tariff item , , , and of the General Import Law. July 30th, Page 3

4 Success Stories Navistar Wants to Build More Heavy-Duty Trucks in Mexico Navistar, the Illinois-based truck assembly company, has been negotiating the terms to expand production capacity in a facility located in Escobedo, Mexico. Navistar Chairman Daniel Ustian said building more trucks in Mexico would better-align Navistar's production operations with the location of its suppliers and trucking companies. "Many of our suppliers have moved to the South and Southwest of the U.S. and even into Mexico and that poses a challenge to our cost structure", he added that "The logistics can cost as much or more than putting the vehicles together." With the expansion into México, Navistar is considering a plan whereby its plant in Chatham, Ontario would supply trucks to customers in Canada and the Northeast U.S. and its plant in Escobedo would provide trucks for the rest of the U.S. Procter & Gamble Invests in a New Manufacturing Plant in Irapuato Procter & Gamble Mexico has committed $250 million to the construction of a new production center in Irapuato, Guanajuato. This facility will produce Gillette razors and razor blades, and will create 1,700 direct jobs, and 700 indirect jobs. Construction will be finalized in 2013, but the plant will begin operating next year, with a capacity of producing 1.8 billions of razors and razor blades per year. In Mexico, Procter & Gamble has 11 industrial facilities and employs more than 14 thousand workers, both directly and indirectly. ITT Rule Expands to Mexico ITT Rule industries, a leading marine equipment manufacturer, will be beginning production in Mexico. A company spokesman said that, the recession and collapse of the recreational boat market forced ITT to consolidate production of all of its marine and recreational vehicle equipment to a plant in the city of Chihuahua in north central Mexico. The company itself headquartered in White Plains, New York is known for its developments of high-technology engineering and manufacturing and employs 40,000 people serving customers in more than 50 countries. In 2007, ITT generated 9 billion dollars in sales. Mexico s 561-Acre Coastal Resort Community to Feature Over 6,000 Condo Units Grupo Grand Coral, owned by Spanish financial houses including Bancaja and Banco de Valencia, has unveiled plans for Grand Coral Riviera Maya, a 6,900-unit resort condominium community located on 561 acres in the coastal town, Playa del Carmen. In addition to the condo project, the $2.5 billion investment will feature hotels, resorts, an 18-hole Nick Price golf course as well as entertainment and retail/ restaurant outposts. The project will be completed over the next 10 years and currently $700 million dollars has been invested. The coastal resort is directed to attract buyers from the U.S., Mexico, Canada and Europe. Grand Coral Riviera Maya is also incorporating eco-friendly elements to protect the surrounding environment, keeping more than 75 percent of the land in its natural state. Selected Readings Municipal Scorecard Understanding Local Regulation in Latin America Author: International Finance Corporation (IFC), Department for International Development of the United Kingdom (DFID), State Secretariat for Economic Affairs of the Swiss Confederation (SECO) June, 2009 The Municipal Scorecard is a benchmarking tool that measures the efficiency of municipal licenses and permits from business owners and municipal officers on the processes for obtaining an operating license, a construction permit, and paying local property taxes at the municipal level in Latin America. Several Latin American countries have embarked on large simplification projects to improve the business climate at the municipal level, specifically for the operating licenses. In some cases, municipalities made, in an individual manner, simplification projects or improved its procedures. In some countries, a top-down political reform effort has resulted in the implementation of a large simplification program. In many cases, the establishment of public-private dialogue has been a very important factor. Infrastructure Projects in Mexico Transmission Line in Sonora Sponsor: Electricity Federal Commission (CFE) Location: Sonora Total Project Value: $16.3 million Spanish Iberdrola Ingeniería y Construcción has been awarded with the contract to build a substation and a 10.9km underground transmission line in the Mexican state of Sonora. The turnkey project is scheduled for completion within a year. The voltage of the underground line will be 115kV and the 115/13.8kV associated substation will have a capacity of 30MVA. Iberdrola Ingeniería has already built around 40 electricity substations in the country with an installed capacity of some 2,000MVA, as well as more than 50 transmission lines covering in excess of 1,615km. Also in Mexico, the company has constructed the largest combined-cycle power plant in Tamazunchale, with an installed capacity of 1.15MW. It has also built the La Venta II wind farm and the La Ventosa facility for Iberdrola Renovables. Business opportunities: Construction, electrical equipment. Non-Associated Gas Fields in the Burgos Basin Sponsor: Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) Location: Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon and Coahuila Total Project Value: N.A. Petroleos Mexicanos, the state oil monopoly, on June 23 started the bidding process for various drilling and infrastructure works for the development of non-associated gas fields in the Burgos basin. The contracts seek to improve automatic production systems, build transport lines and production platforms, expand gas collection centers and set up new gas centers. The 50,000-square-kilometer basin, which spans the three Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon and Coahuila, produced 1.5 billion cubic meters of gas a day in May, up around 10 percent from a year earlier. The Burgos basin contributes around 22 percent of the nation's natural gas output. Business opportunities: Construction, engineering, drill equipment, compressors, bumping equipment, pipes. Page 4

5 Pennsylvania In 2008, Pennsylvania's exports to Mexico reached $2.43 billion, up $1.78 billion from their level in 1993 and an increase of 9.5% in comparison with the previous year. Exports to Mexico (Millions of US Dollars) Among all U.S. states, Pennsylvania was ranked 11th as an exporter of goods to Mexico in In 15 years of NAFTA, Pennsylvania's exports to Mexico have increased by 272%, while those to the rest of the world rose 179%. This means that the export growth rate to Mexico is 1.5 times higher than its export growth rate for the rest of the world. Since NAFTA was implemented, Pennsylvania's sales to Mexico have grown at an annual average rate of 9.2%. Mexico is an important trade partner to Pennsylvania. It was ranked as the 2nd largest export market for goods from Pennsylvania in 2008, up from 4th in 1993, illustrating the impact of NAFTA for Pennsylvania's growing businesses. Mexico accounted for 7.1% of Pennsylvania's exports worldwide in Source: US Census with adjustments made by the World Institute for Strategic Economic Research (Wiser), and SE-NAFTA by SIC AND by NAICS. Page 5

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