http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4129406&nav=1TjD

U.S., Mexico negotiating to set up customs port in Kansas City[/b]


KANSAS CITY, Mo. Shipping U-S vehicles and electronics to Mexico may become much cheaper and faster next year.

That's when the first Mexican customs facility in the U-S is expected to open in the Midwest.

It's nearly one-thousand miles to the border from Kansas City.

But the area will soon start building an inland port to whisk thousands of trucks through export inspections and back onto the North American Free Trade Agreement corridor.

The three (M) million dollar facility is expected to be approved by the U-S and Mexican governments by year's end.

Chris Gutierrez with nonprofit Kansas City SmartPort says the complex is scheduled to open next May.

Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Robert Bonner has said the pilot proposal is "bold and imaginative" and could transform Kansas City into a major new trade link.