Frontera NorteSur March 2002

City authorities from Matamoros and Brownsville met on February 20, 2002, to examine two options to relocate rail lines away from the cities' centers.

According to the Matamoros newspaper El Bravo, moving the railways out of the cities' downtowns will get rid of barriers to the development of Matamoros and Brownsville.

Currently, the cities are looking at two very different options for rerouting the lines. One project has an estimated cost of US$130 million and the other project is valued at US$20 million.

Funding for the Mexican side of the project would come from the Tamaulipas government, the city of Matamoros, the railroad company Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana and the federal government's Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes.

US funding for the project would be provided by Cameron County, Union Pacific, Brownsville & Matamoros Bridge Company, the city of Brownsville and the Brownsville Port, according to El Bravo.

Changes to Mexican Import Duties

The holiday period during which Mexican citizens from the interior of the country could each import duty free up to US$300 in goods for personal use, has expired, according to an article in the February 19, 2002 edition of El Bravo. These same people now have a duty-free limit of US$50.

For residents living in the northern Mexican border zone, the duty-free limit is US$150 each for goods destined for personal consumption. A vehicle with three or more adults in it is limited to importing US$400 in duty-free goods.

Travelers entering Mexico can also bring certain personal items into Mexico without paying any taxes on them. The Matamoros Customs Service is currently giving away pamphlets that detail what these items are.

New and used clothes and shoes can be brought into Mexico in reasonable quantities for personal use. One camera, one videocamera, twelve rolls of new film or new VCR tapes, a cell phone, and a portable computer are also allowed in for personal use. A person can also enter the country duty free with books, magazines, five DVDs or laser discs, 20 CDs or audiocassettes, and a stereo.

People over the age of 18 may bring into Mexico up to 20 packs of cigarettes, 25 cigars or 200 grams of tobacco. Regarding alcohol, an adult may bring in three liters of liquor, beer or wine.

Medicine for personal use may be brought duty-free into Mexico. However, travelers must have prescriptions with them to bring in psychotropic drugs.

Also allowed duty free are one pair of binoculars, a musical instrument and a tent. There are other things on the list as well that people may bring into Mexico duty free for personal use.

Other personal items may be brought into Mexico by paying 20% tax on the value of the goods.

Source: El Bravo, February 21, 2002. Article by Nannette Sedas.
El Bravo, February 19, 2002. Article by Oscar Treviño.