A new international bridge to Mexico is set to open October 2009 in the South Texas city of Mission, Texas. The Anzalduas International Bridge, a $168-million joint project between the United States and Mexico, will be one of the newest and largest border crossings in the country, and will directly connect Mission with Reynosa, Tamaulipas – a Mexican city known for advanced manufacturing and import/export operations.

Since the passing of NAFTA, Mexico has stepped up as a major competitor to China for cost-effective manufacturing. The main reason: lower transportation costs.

Compared to China and other manufacturing hubs, Mexico offers better access to the domestic and North American markets. A shorter, faster and cheaper transportation route to move products and supplies by truck, rather than over thousands of miles by ship, rail, and truck combined.

In South Texas, specifically the Mission metro area, eight international bridges connect the area with the industrial border communities of Reynosa, Matamoros and Monterrey, Mexico — some of the largest Mexican cities dealing with maquiladoras, importing/exporting goods, and vehicle traffic.

This relationship has made Mission and its sister cities an important industrial manufacturing corridor. Sharyland Business Park in Mission is in a Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) – a “free port” allowing materials and finished goods to be imported or re-exported without payment of customs duties.

Area leaders have also been keen to other infrastructure planning on this side of the border. A new six-lane expressway now connects Mission with its sister cities. Interstate Highway I-69, another major artery of transportation, will soon connect trade routes from Mexico and Latin America to the United States and Canada. The Anzalduas Bridge will directly connect to I-69 – facilitating trade operations between the two countries.

“In the past, when the market softens in the U.S., we have always seen an increase in companies looking at our area as a way to reduce their costs and be more competitive,” said Pat Townsend, President of Mission Economic Development Authority.
This is evident in the number of companies that have visited the region. Companies like Black and Decker, Panasonic, and ALPS Automotive are attracted to the area for its low cost of living, career opportunities and location. Every day, more companies are finding and relocating here.