The ever changing winds of both Mexico’s Energy Reform and the projects of port infrastructure to expand trade activities in this area, have only slowed down the momentum for Damen Shipyards Group from Netherlands in the last few months, but this ship is still in route, assured Giel Venema, Latin America sales manager.
“Mexico’s energy reform opened interesting business opportunities in this sector, since the increase of oil companies will, in turn, shoot up the demand for ships, but the industry has slowed its pace due to the dropping oil prices”. Dmaen has had opperations in Mexico for the last four years, with increasing presence —barely decelerated by the price fall of crude oil—, and it already has a project to install offices in Mexico, where 63 ships built in shipyards of Tampico, in Tamaulipas and Guaymas, in Sonora have been sold so far, with another six ships under construction. There, with Mexican navy officers and civilian collaborators and design, assessment, engineering and technology provided by Damen, four or five ships are made every year using Mexican components, assured Venema. “All the steel used to build the ships is produced in Mexico. The shipping industry supply chain is still being created, but there is potential to develop companies to provide in the shipyard”, he stated.
Source: El Economista