MISSION, Texas, June 24 /PRNewswire/ -- 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. One reason is because China is just now experiencing an increase in manufacturing wages - the same increase that hit Mexico years ago. Today, the cost difference between low-wage Mexico and lower-wage China is shrinking rapidly. However, the most important advantage Mexico has over China is lower transportation costs. Our southern neighbor, Mexico has cut the long-distance, transoceanic supply chain that is currently driving U.S. oil prices into the triple digits. Mexico provides 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.
