When Salvatore Lauria started work at Autotek in Puebla, Mexico, there were only a few cars in the company parking lot. Now, 15 years later, the parking lot is full and the vehicles have spilled over on to the neighbouring soccer field.

There are more cars today because Autotek has expanded eight times since it began stamping out bumpers and radiator supports in 1991.

“We often talk about all the expansions we have done in our facility, but we often forget we have had to make four expansions in our parking lot,” says Mr. Lauria, general manager of the plant, which was the first factory Magna International Inc. built in Mexico.

Autotek is a prime example of how Magna is taking advantage of a remarkable growth spurt in the auto industry in Mexico. From that single plant, the Canadian auto parts giant has grown to the point where it now operates 29 plants that employ 24,050 people, more than in any other country where Magna makes parts.

Magna is riding a tectonic shift that is transforming the global auto industry as Asian and European car companies pump billions of dollars of investment into a country perfectly positioned to supply eager North American car buyers and the future growth market of South America.

The shock waves from that shift are battering Canada, which for decades stood as a strong No. 2 behind the United States when it came to North American vehicle production, but has tumbled to No. 3 behind Mexico. One-fifth of the jobs in vehicle assembly and auto parts have vanished in Canada since 2001.

via Made in Mexico: An emerging auto giant powers past Canada – The Globe and Mail.

The post Made in Mexico: An emerging auto giant powers past Canada – The Globe and Mail appeared first on 49th North.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, on a visit to Canada, said Thursday the federal government’s delay in approving the Keystone XL pipeline is “no way to treat a friend.”

“This is not about sending your oil across our land. It’s about maximizing the benefits of North America’s natural resources for everybody, about allowing markets to function, and about contributing to the prosperity of citizens both in the United States and in Canada,” Christie said in Calgary. “Our leaders’ comments on this topic should not be marked by parochialism, but by principles. And the principles should be enhancing the economic competitiveness of North America, treating allies and friends with respect and fair consideration, and creating jobs, growth and opportunity for everyone on both sides of the border.”

Christie believes the United States is “missing an enormous opportunity when we delay this development” and that the project has “languished” far too long, noting it sends an “unfortunate signal” to our ally.

“It should be done and it should be done already,” he said.

This is Christie’s third trip abroad as governor, his second in the past three months after he went to Mexico in September. He visited Israel in 2012. The trip is also a likely attempt to bolster his foreign policy credentials ahead of a possible 2016 presidential bid.

via In Canada, Chris Christie Says Keystone Pipeline Delay ‘No Way to Treat a Friend’ – ABC News.

The post In Canada, Chris Christie Says Keystone Pipeline Delay ‘No Way to Treat a Friend’ – ABC News appeared first on 49th North.

U.S.-NAFTA freight flows totaled $102.2 billion in September, as the value of goods transported by truck, pipeline, rail, ship and airplane increased 8.2 percent year-over-year, according to the Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

Trade among the NAFTA partners has increased every month this year except January, hitting a $103.9 billion peak in terms of value in May. The biggest year-over-year increase was recorded in June, when NAFTA trade surged 10.1 percent to $103 billion.

The steady increases in monthly trade reflect a U.S. economy that has grown at a rate higher than 3.5 percent in four of the last five quarters. U.S. gross domestic product expanded 4.6 percent in the second quarter and 3.9 percent in the third quarter, according to a revised second estimate released by the U.S. Commerce Department Nov. 25.

The Canadian and Mexican economies are growing at a slower pace, but they are growing — thanks in part to manufacturing trade with the U.S. Mexico’s GDP expanded 2.2 percent year-over-year in the third quarter. In the second quarter, the Canadian economy grew 0.8 percent before fizzling in the early summer. Stronger retail sales in September could point to better than expected growth this fall. Canada releases third quarter GDP Nov. 28.

via Stronger economy boosts cross-border US trade with Canada, Mexico | JOC.com.

The post Stronger economy boosts cross-border US trade with Canada, Mexico | JOC.com appeared first on 49th North.

Retired general David Petraeus and former World Bank president Robert Zoellick, who led a task force on the continent for the Council on Foreign Relations, argue that a North American energy revolution and major reforms in Mexico mean U.S. leaders should now have a political interest in embracing their neighbours.

U.S. Republicans are already clashing with President Barack Obama over the proposed Keystone XL pipeline – but Mr. Petraeus and Mr. Zoellick argue that’s just the tip of the cross-border North American issues that should feature in U.S. political debate

via U.S. urged to look to Canada and Mexico amid energy revolution – The Globe and Mail.

The post U.S. urged to look to Canada and Mexico amid energy revolution – The Globe and Mail appeared first on 49th North.

Gov. Christie will lead a state delegation to Canada for two days next month, taking his second foreign trip in several months as he weighs a run for president in 2016.

The Dec. 4-5 trip will include visits to Calgary, Toronto, and the capital, Ottawa, with an aim of strengthening business ties between New Jersey and Canada, the state’s largest trading partner, Christie’s office said Monday.

In particular, the Republican governor will focus on the energy sector, his office said – as he did during a September trade mission he led to Mexico, where he gave a speech calling for greater investment in energy-related infrastructure to bolster a “North American energy renaissance.”

“Too often, our neighbors in Mexico and Canada have felt that they were an afterthought in U.S. foreign policy. My view is that they should be our first thought,” Christie said during the speech.

via Christie to talk trade, energy in Canada.

The post Christie to talk trade, energy in Canada appeared first on 49th North.