Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico, Prepares to Sign Cooperative Agreement with Kansas City

KANSAS CITY, MO – March 15, 2005—Officials from Kansas City and Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico, will sign a historic cooperative agreement next week to establish a new trans-Pacific trade corridor that will alleviate delays and congestion at West Coast ports. The signing, at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 22, will take place at Cathedral Square, 427 W. 12 th St. This significant agreement will promote trade growth and development along the new corridor.

“This signing is an exciting and historic moment for the international trade in the Kansas City region,” Chris Gutierrez, president, KC SmartPort, said. “The partnership with Lazaro Cardenas puts Kansas City in a pivotal position to become the Pacific port’s primary U.S. inland port and puts KC another step ahead of our competition for economic growth and job creation.”

A delegation of seven Mexican officials including Eloy Vargas Arreola, Secretary of Economic Development, Government of the State of Michoacan, will spend three days—Monday through Wednesday, March 21-23-- in Kansas City, MO.

Organizing the trade mission is Kansas City SmartPort in cooperation with its partners the Greater Kansas City Foreign Trade Zone, Inc., the State of Missouri-Mexico Trade and Agricultural Office, the Kansas City, Missouri-Mexico Trade and Business Initiatives Corporation, and the International Office of Trade and Affairs of Kansas City, MO.

“In terms of opening the Midwest to Asian trade through Mexican ports, this agreement signifies substantial completion of the extensive efforts over the past several years devoted to establishing the political, economic, and cultural foundation enabling this trade route to work. It is a tribute to the successful efforts of many including NAITCP, SmartPort, Kansas City, and the States of Missouri and Kansas. It also marks the beginning of the implementation phase that involves the perfection of trade protocols and logistics, which will result in the movement of goods between the port of Kansas City and Lázaro Cárdenas,” Alfred J. Figuly, President, Greater Kansas City Foreign Trade Zone, said.

Under the agreement, Kansas City and Lázaro Cárdenas will work together to address and perfect freight security along the entire North American International Trade Corridor. The agreement specifically states that both cities will commit to:

• Budgeting a neutral joint marketing campaign designed to attract trans-Pacific traffic to the Lázaro Cárdenas-Kansas City trade corridor;
• Promoting in-bond transfers between the Greater Kansas City Foreign Trade Zone and the Lázaro Cárdenas Foreign Trade Zone;
• Working together to promote the development and deployment of innovative security tracing and tracking systems along the entire corridor that will protect the national security of both Mexico and the United States.

Prior to the signing, Mexican leaders representing government, industrial associations, chambers of commerce and economic development will meet with Kansas City Southern, TranSystems Corporation, Bayer Corporation, Black & Veatch Solutions and various importers in the City. Each session is planned to provide one-on-one, in-depth information for the Mexican visitors concerning elements of doing business with Kansas City companies and government officials.

The Lázaro Cárdenas visit involves the entire Greater Kansas City Metropolitan area, which includes more than 50 communities, 18 counties and two states.

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