An 8,000 ton boat is offloaded in 15-to-16 days, about three times longer than would be

necessary with a modern offloading facility. Moreover, the losses range from 7-to-10 percent.

 However, the impression should not be conveyed that conditions are entirely primitive,

at least at the most major ports. For example, at Veracruz there is a large container facility,

opened in 1978, with four overhead cranes capable of offloading containers directly from ship

to rail. Two of the cranes are older and of Russian design (East German built), while two are

quite modern and of Japanese construction [acquired by the port early 1993 or late 1992]. The

efficiency of this and other container facilities is limited, however, by the dearth of suitable rail

equipment supplied by FNM. Containers often are loaded into open wagons, originally designed

for bulk cargos.


Storage

 With respect to perishables, perhaps the single biggest impediment to expanded use of

port facilities is a lack of refrigerated storage facilities. Manzanillo is the only Mexican port

served by a refrigerated warehouse. This facility was built to accommodate Chilean and New

Zealand imports (Brennan, 1993a). The facility is operated as a concession by Consorcio

Fruticola Mexican (Cofrumex), the largest Chilean produce importer into Mexico. under

Mexico's new Law of Ports (see next subsection). Cofrumex is planning to expand this facility.

It should be noted that the facility will shortly be utilized for imports of U.S. and Canadian

perishables, primarily from the Pacific Northwest (see Appendix I). In addition, Frigorifico de

Manzanillo has acquired a concession to build the first on-dock refrigerated facility in Mexico.

This facility is primarily intended for serving Australian and New Zealand meat imports. For

the port of Ensenada, in northern Baja California, Calfrisa has recently announced its intent to