According to Bloomberg News, billionaire Elon Musk has a contract with the Mexican State of Nuevo Leon, which borders Texas, to set aside a lane at a border crossing only for Tesla suppliers. On Texas State Highway 255, which connects the border towns of Laredo with Colombia, Mexico, lies the Colombia Solidarity Bridge, which has a designated border checkpoint lane. The news comes in the same week Musk announced to Wall Street and the public that Tesla’s automobile facility in Austin will be increasing production.
Ivan Rivas, the economic minister for Nuevo Leon, told Bloomberg that the inducement was straightforward. “We need a crossing that is significantly faster and more effective. And maybe in the future, other businesses will have a lane much as Tesla does.” It is still unclear, however, if the inducement Rivas stated was a monetary contribution from Musk’s electric car firm or only an increase in the state of Mexico’s economy.
Rivas refused to comment specifically on the discussions with Tesla, though and told Bloomberg that he did not directly negotiate the agreement.
According to sources, even though Tesla suppliers now get a quick pass into Mexico, suppliers coming north will still need to pass through U.S. customs alongside other commercial cargo trucks.
There are no other options for northbound commercial vehicles, according to CBP press officer Rick Pauza, who spoke to Gizmodo. “I checked with Laredo U.S. Customs and Border Protection trade operations management, and apart from the Free and Secure Trade (FAST) program and the dedicated lane for FAST participants, and the usual northbound cargo lanes, that is all that is available,” he said.
Pauza also confirmed that there isn’t a separate lane for Tesla passenger cars traveling from Mexico to the United States in the north. The government in charge of the Tesla express lane, the Mexican Corporation for the Development of the Border Zone of Nuevo Leon, was unavailable for comment at the time of publication.
Source: SA Current