Problems relating to Trade and Investment on Mexico

26. Others
Issue	Issue details	Requests	Reference

(1) Aggravated Public Security	- Robbery, kidnapping, murder, theft, these occur all the time, threatening the safety not only in business operation but also on day-to-day livelihood. The low reputation of policemen makes it unwise to look for their help in emergencies. - Since July 2014, in the outskirts of Mexico city, container cargoes loading LCD TVs (on the way to the export port destined to Mid-South America) by rail have been frequently assaulted by container-burglars, 4-times by December 2014, each time the loss of a few hundred units have occurred. Repeated requests made to Ferromex railway have not the carrier's appropriate corrective measures to this date. - Crimes are increasing in the whole Mexico. Major reasons are accounted for by the crime syndicates' division of the domestic market, each roping off individual territory, repeating disputes. This has grown to be a large factor preventing new investments by enterprises.	- It is requested that GOM: -- ensures public security, and -- gives top priority to regaining the police reliability. - It is requested that Federal Government takes positive measures to crack down on the wide area criminal offence group to enhance safety in the railway transport. - In certain areas, collusion between police force and crime syndicate is pointed out in certain areas. It is said integration into single state police is now under deliberation. Winning back of trust in the police force claims the top priority.
	(Action) - The Fox administration has established Department of Public Safety to integrate efforts of both state and local governments and has announced its plan to set up Federal Investigation Agency as its new base for the Federal Judicial Police Force. In the 15 Intensive Safety Zones so designated, the police force has been reinforced. It has also implemented the national program to annihilate improper conduct. - In May 2007, at the Committee for the Improvement of the Business Environment under Japan-Mexico EPA, GOJ proposed improvement of security in Mexico to GOM. - The Calderon Administration launched in 2006 the measure to cope with the security issue, starting with the control of drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) in the metropolitan area, where drug organizations are based. In these areas, DTOs have murdered officers related to the security control, in retaliation against the tightened control. The gangland bloodletting endangers the livelihood of citizens. In the northern urban areas, the victimized Japanese in these conflicts have been confirmed.
	(Improvement) - The security measure at the International Airport of Mexico has been tightened.

(2) Burglary of Cargoes

- In the domestic transport in Mexico, theft or burglary of cargoes frequently occurs. It costs heavily for enterprises to guard against it.

- It is requested that the government (each local authority) takes positive measures for its prevention.

(3) Ambiguous Planning on the Port Construction Project

- While port construction is under way at Altamira, Tamaulipas State, the details of the construction projects remain in the dark, regarding the completion schedule, functional details, etc.

- It is requested that GOM clarifies the details for the port construction project.

(4) Delays in Import/Export Cargo Formalities in the U.S. West Coast	- While the area in concern is not Mexico per se, Maquiladora operation in this area relies upon Long Beach Port, California while the negotiation over the industrial disputes have bogged down, causing substantial delays in export/import cargo movements.	- While the U.S. federal government is about to intervene in the negotiation, it is requested that GOJ will file its request to GOU for: -- improving the negotiation toward early settlement of the industrial disputes, and -- expanding the Mexican Ensenada Port facilities to complement the capacity shortage issues.
	(Action) - The U.S. West Coast harbor industrial bargaining stretched for a long period of 9-months from May 2015. Especially in November 2014, the number of the landed containers substantially dropped due to the workers walkout at both Los Angeles and Long Beach Ports, the largest ports in the U.S. - According to Japan maritime center verification, in February 2014 at Los Angeles port, vessel's anchorage-time increased by 146-hours (about 6-days) at Los Angeles port, and 104-hours (about 4.5 days) at Long Beach port, compared to the same month of the preceding year, delay by a large margin in each case. - On 21 February 2015, ILWU (International Longshore and Warehouse Union) and PMA (Pacific Maritime Association) signed Tentative Collective Agreement (TCA). - With signing of TCA that ended the labour bargaining, the functionality at ports took off toward normalisation, increasing the number of import containers.

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