Beauty, is there a sign or anything there that identifies the site as the future home of Dragon Mart?
I've been to and from Puerto Morelos, but I missed the site. Is there a sign or anything that gives it away?
I still haven't seen the site, but the spokesman for it says it will have a grand opening in December, this year. Below, is their official website. Chinese Products (Cancun) Long-term Exhibition Anybody seen what's happening on the ground?
There is no sign on the Autopista...just a chain across the entrance and a small, non-descript guard house. Crews are currently working 12 hours a day and the project is progressing on the new schedule. People continue to talk about the damage to Puerto Morelos when, in reality, the facility is within shouting distance of Moon Palace by the wind generator. While that is now in the jurisdiction of Puerto Morelos, it is half way to Cancun from Puerto Morelos. If you go the the website that V published in his response you will see that the opening is now scheduled for Summer of 2013. I had lunch with one of the project partners and the general contractor about ten days ago and they are pleased with the current progress. It has been approximately 30 days since I last visited the site but 30 days ago, the progress was substantial. Additionally, there is equipment on site that makes small stones out of large boulders. The stones are bagged and sold to other construction sights. The general contractor is a really sharp man with projects currently in Cancun, Carillo Puerto, Mexico City and Tijuana. He has also completed projects in the Cancun Centro, Cancun Hotel Zone, Riviera Maya and the Cancun Airport. The smart money sez he will finish this job also.
Knowing the Chinese, they will get this project done one way or another. And if they have to pay extra for getting it done on a timely basis then so be it. This is not good for Cancun or Mexico in general. The Chinese will make Mexico one of their suppliers as they have done with the US. They will beat any prices the Mexicans can offer for their home made products. Just a bad idea for Mexico to allow the Chinese to take over as they are doing.
According to this Puerto Morelos Blog info, it will not open until mid June 2013. Puerto Morelos Blog: Dragon Mart Update
Before you tar and feather the Chinese, it would help to remember that not so many years ago Japanese products were considered junk. Times change and as the China economy grows, the quality of their exports will improve. The Mexican economy is already saturated with South Korean electronics that offer excellent quality and pricing. I cannot see where the Chinese, as you say, are going to "take over". I have always worked in a very competative environment and I feel competition is a good thing. What about Costco, Walmart and Sams Club. They are competing with Mexican corporations for the Peso and many feel they are probably winning. Go in to Walmart then go into Mega, do a headcount in both stores and then decide. I would venture to say that most people in the area that read this forum shop at one of the above and no one is upset about that. Most appreciate the improved merchandise choice. Life happens...enjoy your Japanese, Spanish, French, Italian or US car....ejoy your US, Korean, Chinese or Japanese computer, cell phone, tablet, air conditioner, MP3, watch, stereo, hair dryer, hand tool or what ever and simply accept that life happens.
Beauty, thanks for the report on the work, and the better description of exactly where this work is taking place. This is now clearly coming and it may be better to focus on the projected benefits- increased visits to our area by businessmen and their families from Latin America, and increased visits from China. With this just the second such site in the world, Dubai is the other, it will attract a lot of interest on the Chinese side. Foreign direct investment will begin to flow, with Chinese buying property here, and Chinese businessmen seeing opportunities to establish businesses and invest here in other ways, as well.
I am not sure where you are from, but Japanese goods were never considered junk. They were always considered not really necesary and overpriced till we got so used to them we are now living with them every day and the prices are looking more and more reasonable. There is a huge difference in Japanese and Korean manufacturing vs. the Chinese mentality in whole. The Japanese and Koreans are proud of what they make and make it always a high quality and charge a lot for it. The Chinese on the other hand make everything cheap and if they can find a way to make it cheaper they will. Look around your home and if you were to take out everything that is made in China what would you really have left? Probably not much other then the bare floor, and you may even have to remove that as well since it was probably made in China. The Chinese want to take over the economy of every country. They will sell anything they can to anyone at a low price. They do not have the interest in your national security or to be involved in your politics. They want to own you in every other way though. And they are really succeeding at it. If you think they will improve their products when their economy is slowing down you are very misguided. Their products will remain cheap and poor quality and we will keep buying it because its cheap. Nobody wants a good chinese product. They want a cheap chinese product where they can spend less than any other brand or country of origin. And the Chinese know this and take full advantage of this. The Chinese can and will beat any price of any country on any product. It is part of their way of business. If they have to pay nothing for labor then so be it. The workers do it for pride and for having China succeed outside of their own country. Once they start demanding higher pay and better conditions than things will start to change but the way things are going its not in our lifetime. If you find the worse working conditions in Mexico the Chinese have it much worse and they will make the poor conditions look like a 5 star hotel comparatively to what they do in China. Do not underestimate the Chinese ideology. They will take over any economy (the already own the US) that they can and will not rest till they own the whole planet.