Financial Times - Brazil’s Roberto Azevêdo has emerged as the new director-general of the World Trade Organization after seeing off the US and EU’s favoured candidate, Herminio Blanco of Mexico, according to officials familiar with the contest.Trade & Investment
Lemon exports grew 11% annually but not 2009
Sentido Comun - Exports of lemons have grown at an annual rate of 11.1 percent during the past seven years, but and in 2009 there were no sales of the fruit to other nations. The United States absorbed 99.6 percent of the product, the Agriculture Ministry said.
Canada warns against traveling to Mexico
El Economista - Canada's Foreign Ministry warned its citizens on Tuesday against traveling to Mexico and especially to Ciudad Juarez, where three Americans were killed last Saturday. The ministry recommends Canadian travelers "reconsider your need to travel."
eleconomista.com.mx/seguridad-publica/2010/03/16/canada-recomienda-no-viajar-mexico
Shoe industry asks exemption from Brazil FTA
El Economista - Representatives of leather shoe production in Mexico called on federal deputies to exempt the industry from a possible free trade agreement between Mexico and Brazil and asked for lower taxes and higher tariffs on imports to Mexico.
eleconomista.com.mx/industrias/2010/03/14/industriales-calzado-rechazan-tlc-brasil
Drug war causes maquila job losses in Juarez
Maquila Portal - Ciudad Juarez' maquiladora industry lost 1,600 jobs in February, which was attributed to the violence associated with the nation's drug war that has taken place in the city in the last few years, says the local maquiladora association.
Mexican Customs adopting U.S. daylight savings time
KRGV.com - U.S. Customs and Border Protection hours of operation will remain the same asd Mexican Customs has agreed to adopt U.S. hours of operation when the U.S. converts to daylight savings time on March 14. Mexico officially changes over to daylight savings time on April 4.
Chile suspends timber exports to Mexico
CNNExpansión.com - Chile has suspended timber exports to Mexico, causing prices to increase between 12 and 18 percent. Seventy percent of Chile's timber sales are outside the country, which earns $117.9 million from the product annually.
www.cnnexpansion.com/economia/2010/03/11/sismo-en-chile-disparo-costo-de-maderas
Unilver to build plant in Morelos
Maquila Portal - Unilever, the nutrition, hygiene and personal care company, will invest 1.05 billion pesos ($83.65 million) to build a new plant in the state of Morelos that will employ 365 during construction and 107 when it is operating as of May 2011.
Fixed investment rises 1.9% in December
El Economista - Investment by firms in Mexico increased by 0.19 percent in December for the third straight month but was 4.1 percent lower than the previous December, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI).
eleconomista.com.mx/mercados-estadisticas/2010/03/11/retrocede-41-inversion-fija-bruta-mexico
U.S. companies in Mexico to invest $2.5 billion
El Financiero - U.S. companies operating in Mexico, which generate 30 percent of employment in the country, are expected as the result of a survey to invest some $2.5 billion this year, said the president of the American Chamber of Commerce, Alberto Vilar Arellano.
www.elfinanciero.com.mx/ElFinanciero/Portal/cfpages/contentmgr.cfm
Mexico urges more U.S. effort to end trucking dispute
TruckingInfo - In addition to U.S. lawmakers and stakeholders, Mexico has now urged the United States to work harder to come up with a plan to end the ban on cross-border trucking, saying the U.S. is in violation of the North American Free Trade Agreement.
