According to a September 12 interview in Diario de Juarez, between 30 and 40 trucks per day are crossing through the Santa Teresa, New Mexico port. Santa Teresa is located a few miles west of El Paso's major bridge crossings. Currently the majority of importations through the port are loads of lumber. And despite the additional 30 kilometers needed to get to the port from Juarez, customs broker Pete Araujo stated the port has potential for shipping merchandise. He added that shippers using Santa Teresa are able to avoid the 4 hour wait to use the bridges in downtown El Paso.
Santa Teresa is not the port for everyone though, and Araujo mentions that merchandise such as electronics and clothing are still better off using another port due to dust in the air that is common at Santa Teresa. Mr. Araujo also indicated that Santa Teresa should be considered as a reliever port if El Paso Mayor Larry Francis closes some of the El Paso brdiges for inspections and repairs (see Transportation story). Using other ports besides the El Paso bridges would also help to save city streets from damage and reduce air pollution, he added.
Source: Diario de Juarez