Suppliers traveling from Mexico to Texas have their own border patrol lane. The electric car company, which relocated its headquarters from California to Austin, has struck a deal with a Mexican state to allow express access to its suppliers at a checkpoint, according to a report.
It looks like the ease of access is the only way for now, since the U.S. Customs and Border Protection has not granted an exemption for the car maker.
There are only the regular cargo lanes and the Free and Secure Trade (FAST) lane at the Colombia-Solidarity Bridge for trucks from the north. There isn't a dedicated lane for any particular company.
Taiwanese companies EnFlex Corp. andQuanta Computer are located in Nuevo Len. The EV industry is expected to contribute between 5% and 7% of investment in the state this year, according to the region's economy minister.
Rivas, who didn't negotiate the deal, said that the region had an economic incentive for playing ball and that he hopes to do similar deals in the future.
The average wait time at the Colombia-Solidarity crossing is 26 minutes. The border authority in Nuevo Len is increasing the number of lanes at the crossing.
Only the company and suppliers can use the dedicated lane at the remote border crossing. There is a green highway sign that is written in the company's logo and is located between one lane for cars and the other for empty trucks or buses.
According to four different border patrol and customs agents along the Texas-Mexico border and two from the California-Mexico border, it's rare to see one company have dedicated access to a lane.
It is not clear if the region gave anything to Nuevo Len in exchange for the dedicated lane or if they just wanted to accommodate Musk's company for bringing industry and potentially jobs.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
