Friday, 26 November 1999

Plan to expand border free zone delayed
Friday, 26 November 1999

http://www.azstarnet.com/public/dnews/131-7642.html
By Tim Steller
The Arizona Daily Star

At the same time that Mexican and American governments are discouraging some cross-border travel, they are trying to encourage it - with less success so far.
In September the governments announced plans to expand each country's border-area free zones in the corridor from Tucson to Magdalena de Kino, Sonora.
Immigration and Naturalization Service Commissioner Doris Meissner said the United States would allow Mexicans with border-crossing cards to travel as far north as Tucson without first obtaining a visa. The intent was to convert Tucson into a cross-border shopping mecca.
Mexican immigration officials, meanwhile, said Americans would be allowed to travel as far south as Magdalena de Kino, about 60 miles south of the border, without a tourist visa.
Both plans were scheduled to go into effect Wednesday, but now the implementation date is in doubt.
``Our goal is to make this happen in time to accommodate Christmas shoppers, and I think that's still something we hope to do,'' said INS spokeswoman Virginia Kice. ``Early December is still the target.''
Discussions are ongoing as to where to locate the northern limit of the expanded zone, because as announced in September it would have ended at the northern Tucson city limit, cutting out stores in the metropolitan area's northern fringes.
Mexican immigration officials, meanwhile, have not announced how they will allow Americans beyond the border checkpoint at Kilometer 21 south of Nogales. That's where Americans, under present laws, must show a passport - or a birth certificate with another identification card - to take out a visa.
As yet, there are no immigration facilities on the highway at Magdalena.
But Mexico guarantees it is implementing one change to ease cross-border commerce.
Starting Wednesday, Mexican customs will allow Mexicans who live in the United States to take $300 worth of merchandise beyond the border-zone checkpoints without paying taxes, an increase from the current $50 duty-free limit.


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