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MISSION — The mayors of McAllen and Mission welcomed Ricardo Gallardo Cardona, governor of the Mexican state of San Luis Potosi, to Anzalduas International Bridge on Wednesday to celebrate a burgeoning trade alliance.
As construction continues on the $82 million commercial expansion of the bridge, which is jointly owned by the cities of McAllen, Mission and Granjeño, officials here have been working hard to make inroads in international commerce.
A big part of that equation is enticing new industries to bring their goods here once the bridge’s commercial lanes open sometime next summer.
“We want to be the hub. We want to be the area for another option for businesses to cross not only in this area, but we’re going above and beyond,” Telco J. Garcia, CEO of the Mission Economic Development Corporation, said during a news conference held at the bridge’s southbound toll booths Wednesday.
In particular, officials from the Rio Grande Valley are eyeing San Luis Potosi and its expansive automotive parts industry as the big fish they hope to hook.
Construction of the bridge is expected to be completed by March or April 2025, just a few weeks later than initial projections.
But once that construction is complete, officials hope Mexico will view the bridge as a better avenue for important dry goods into the United States. And already, leaders from San Luis Potosi seem to eagerly be aboard with the idea.
“They’re really excited about this bridge,” Mission Mayor Norie Gonzalez Garza said.
“We had a little roundtable before coming out here and part of the discussion was to have — their plans (are) to use this bridge exclusively, which, that would be a tremendous, tremendous thing for our bridge,” the mayor said.
Currently, the San Luis Potosi automotive industry is the second largest in Mexico, according to Gov. Gallardo.
“We are exporting more than $5 billion at the moment, and for us to have — or be close to having — a bridge that can facilitate our logistics, reduce costs and, above all, encourage companies to come invest in our city … Mexico and the United States will benefit from this great investment that, today, these mayors are making,” Gallardo said in Spanish.
The bulk of those automotive parts imports cross into the U.S. at Laredo’s ports of entry, the governor said. But, those ports are becoming less attractive as trucks are forced to waste time waiting in long lines to cross.
“The logistics of transportation in San Luis Potosi for the companies has been a lot of work, and they’ve lost a lot of money from being stalled on bridges that don’t flow smoothly,” Gallardo said.
“Today, the opportunity that Mission and McAllen are providing with this bridge is pure gold,” he further said.
It’s about 460 miles, as the crow flies, between San Luis Potosi and the border at Laredo. Meanwhile, the distance between the central Mexican state and Anzalduas isn’t that much different at about 424 miles.
But what will set the Valley port of entry apart is that it will be the “fastest” bridge on the border, according to McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos.
“We will have the fastest — the fastest — bridge to cross. We’ll have the state-of-the-art technology that nobody else has,” Villalobos said.
If San Luis Potosi shifts its automotive exports here, it could lead to millions of dollars pumped directly into the local economy, Gonzalez Garza said — a financial boon she hopes will spur further expansions of her city’s warehousing and other international trade-related infrastructure.
Wednesday’s roundtable discussions weren’t a one-off, though.
Missions and McAllen leaders have been in talks with the Mexican state for over a year.
Just last month, the city of McAllen renewed its 10-year sister city agreement with the city of San Luis Potosi.
A contingent of economic development officials from Mission also traveled to the central Mexican state last month to meet with trade leaders.
There, Mayor Gonzalez Garza signed a trade accord with the city of San Luis Potosi’s interim president — akin to an American mayor — Alexandra Daniela Cid Gonzalez.
The Mission delegation also toured some of the city’s automotive sector.
“We hope that can translate to opportunity, investment, jobs on this side of the border,” Garcia, the Mission EDC CEO, said.
On that front, the future looks bright.
“Today, San Luis doesn’t just come to approve the (bridge expansion) project, it comes to stand by their side, to be their commercial allies, economic allies, and above all, empower the cities (of McAllen and Mission),” Gallardo, the governor, said in Spanish.
“That’s why I spoke of the importance of this bridge where we can, finally, diversify our goods across South Texas at this bridge and, well, bet everything here. Because, if they’re opening the doors for exports at this bridge, the least we can do is use it,” he added.
