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Costa Rica Officials Come to Laredo for Business

By KGNS News

Story Created: Jan 31, 2012 at 10:29 PM CDT

Story Updated: Feb 1, 2012

Mayor Raul Salinas and City Manager Carlos Villarreal met with a member of the Costa Rican government to develop a partnership between the two ports.
Costa Rica is developing a port of entry with their neighbor county, Nicaragua, and wants to use the Laredo port as their model.
Margarita Libby, Customs, Logistics & International Trade Executive Coach: "We want to copy this model because it is the best model ever. I travel a lot from many countries and many borders and what I saw here was an example of cooperation, security."
Mayor Raul Salinas says he traveled to Costa Rica a few years ago and met with government officials and that's how they learned about Laredo's port. Libby says right now their port is almost unbearable for truck drivers bringing them trade.
"Driver has to stop and they have to sleep in the cabin. We have no place, not even a bathroom. We want to copy all the facilities you have for them. They are human and they deserve better treatment when they are trying to cross and bring us merchandise."
Mayor Salinas wants to develop more than just trade with Costa Rica; he wants to make the city of La Cruz a sister city.
Laredo already has 35 sister cities across the globe and has invited Costa Rica to come to their annual Sister City Festival in July.
Mayor Salinas: "What happens is that promotes cultural, educational and also business when you have a sister city."
But trade isn't the only thing Mayor Salinas says is possible from their future partners.
"There's also a possibility of promoting air cargo from Costa Rica through Laredo and that's important."
Mayor Salinas also says this partnership will help keep Laredo the nation's number one inland port for trade on the Western Hemisphere.